The efficacy of leukinferon in suppurative-septic diseases

In the complex of treatment of purulent-septic diseases leukinferon at a dose of 300 IU/kg was used according to the following scheme: 3 injections with the 48 h interval between injections. The effect of leukinferon mainly on the function of neutrophil granulocytes and subpopulation of T-lymphocytes was established. Together with clinico-laboratory data indicative of the effectiveness of treatment, normalization of interferon status and decrease in the level of a circulating factor of tumour necrosis in seriously ill patients was observed.     

Therapeutic possibilities in non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma]

The -175 (T-->C) G gamma hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin is a very rare promoter mutation occurring in Caucasians as well as in African-Americans. Heterozygotes for this non-deletional HPFH show 20% HbF, mostly of G gamma type. We describe here a healthy Sardinian man who coinherited -175 (T-->C) G gamma HPFH with the beta-thalassaemia codon 39 nonsense mutation in trans; he showed 64% HbF, 100% of G gamma type. Although the beta-globin haplotype pattern (II/II) was indicative of the presence of the A gamma T allele on both chromosomes, the A gamma T expression was undetectable by HPLC even in red cell populations separated by age. The proband was, moreover, homozygous for the -4 bp deletion at position -225 to -222 of A gamma promoter which has recently been associated with decreased A gamma T globin expression. These findings suggest that this maximal overexpression of G gamma-globin probably reflects intensified stimulation of the mutated G gamma promoter in this hitherto undescribed genetic condition.     

Therapeutic strategy of chronic heart failure]

Considerable advances have been made in the management of heart failure during the past decade, with the development of new pharmacological agents. Now the therapeutic goals are not only to reduce symptoms but also to decrease the occurrence of acute heart failure, hospitalizations and to delay death. Prevention plays a key role: by correcting predisposing factors, and by slowing the process which leads from asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction to overt heart failure. The range for therapeutic action is broad: general and dietetic advices, pharmacological agents, surgical procedures which are reserved for the end-stage patient. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors remain the cornerstone of treatment at almost all stages of the disease.     

Therapeutic indications for hypnotics in adults]

Notwithstanding the fact that there is a general agreement on the necessity of surgery in the first year of life in craniosynostosis, the problem is more difficult for older children. Deterioration of clinical status is, in general, in relation with an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP), which may happen abruptly following different causes (slight head injury, for example). The purpose of this study was to determine, in different varieties of synostosis, if a high intracranial pressure could exist without clinical signs and consequently, if a surgical opening of the sutures would be necessary. IPC has been measured through a ventricular catheter connected with a transducer and recorder for 24 hours. In half of the cases (11 out of 22) a high ICP (above 20 mmHg) was recorded either permanently or during sleep. This increase in ICP should lead to a surgical decompression, event without clinical signs. On the other hand, psychomotor retardation, abnormal EEG, increased digitation should not be considered as an indication for surgical treatment in cases with normal ICP. The measurement of decreased ICP after operation on a long term basis would be a great value.     

Therapeutic horseback riding in a psychiatric hospital]

A study was made of some regularities attending the mechanisms of antibody production in the organism of experimental animals after the administration of El Tor cholera vibrio toxin. As revealed, the indices of the immune response depended on the chosen model, the method of its determination, the method of administration and the amount of the toxin administered. Dynamics of the primary and secondary responses of the immunocompetent cells of mouse spleen was determined. With the action of the El Tor toxin on the lymphoid tissue of mice there were expressed the general biological regularities of the response -- the optimal amount of the antigen-antibody complexes caused activation of the antibody-producing cells; high doses depressed the most reactive immunocompetent Y-cells. Apparently, there existed a genetic determinination of the immune response of the organism to a definite antigen -- the toxin of the El Tor cholera vibrio. It is supposed that it is necessary to choose groups which mostly require cholera vaccination.     

Editorial: Therapeutic management of the intermediate syndrome]

The ability of antibiotics to inhibit acetylcholinesterase was measured in homogenates of goldfish brain. Puromycin aminonucleoside was the most potent inhibitor followed by puromycin, cycloheximide and acetoxycycloheximide. Puromycin effectively impaired retention of active-avoidance learning in goldfish when injected either immediately before or after training, while puromycin aminonucleoside did not regardless of injection time. These results suggest that the known amnestic effects of puromycin, cycloheximide and acetoxycycloheximide are not a consequence of interference with acetylcholinesterase.     

Therapeutic options provided by new antiepileptic drugs]

Intracellular recordings were obtained from antidromically identified motoneurons in an embryonic chick spinal cord slice preparation at two developmental stages (embryonic days 12 and 18, E12 and E18) which bracket a critical period in spinal cord growth. The resting membrane potential of chick motoneurons did not change significantly between E12 and E18, but there was a significant decrease in neuronal input resistance. A small inward rectification was present in cells of both ages, although a lower proportion of E12 motoneurons exhibited inward rectification compared to E18 motoneurons. Injection of depolarizing current pulses revealed that most E12 motoneurons exhibited spike adaptation, while the majority of E18 motoneurons showed high frequency tonic firing. Bath application of serotonin (5-HT) and its agonists 5-carboxamido-tryptamine (5-CT, a 5-HT1 agonist) and alpha-methyl 5-HT (a 5-HT2 agonist) produced hyperpolarizing responses accompanied by decreased input resistance in all E12 motoneurons studied. The same three agonists produced depolarizing responses and increased input resistance in all E18 motoneurons studied. The effects of serotonergic agonists on motoneuronal excitability were tested using depolarizing current pulses. In most cases, serotonergic agonists caused a decrease in firing frequency during the hyperpolarizing response in E12 neurons. At E18, bath application of 5-HT, 5-CT or alpha-methyl 5-HT produced an increase in firing frequency in all motoneurons during the depolarizing response. Our results indicate that both 5-HT1 and 5-HT2 receptor subtypes contribute to modulation of chick motoneuron excitability and appear to reverse the polarity of their effects on membrane potential after a critical period in development of the spinal cord.     

The clinical efficacy in using leukinferon in adults with diseases caused by the varicella-zoster virus

To achieve more effective treatment of varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster in adults, a wide-spectrum immunocorrective agent containing, together with alpha-interferon, a number of other cytokines of the first phase of immune response was used. In patients with the different severity of disease leukinferon induced a rapid decrease in the severity of the disease, arrested the development of new elements on the skin and the buccal mucosa, and reduced the duration of the fever period. When used in such forms as intramuscular injections in combination with the irrigation of the buccal mucosa and ointment, leukinferon proved to be a highly effective preparation for the treatment of diseases caused by varicella-zoster virus.     

Therapeutic options for improvement of myocardial perfusion in coronary atherosclerosis]

The combination of morphological atherosclerotic alterations of coronary vessels and disturbance of coronary vasomotor control of epicardial and resistance vessels determines the amount of myocardial oxygen supply. The endothelium plays a crucial role for functional alterations of the coronary vessels in patients with early atherosclerosis or risk factors for coronary artery disease. A therapy which aims to ameliorate endothelium-dependent vasodilator capacity improves myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease. Thereby, even in patients with angiographically normal or minimally diseased coronary vessels who develop myocardial ischemia due to microvascular disease, symptomatic improvement might be achieved. Control of coronary vasomotor tone and proliferation processes within the vessel wall are both determined by the redox equilibrium of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide radicals (O2-), induced by angiotensin II. Thus, vasomotor control and vessel wall proliferation is closely related to each other. Aim of a therapeutic intervention to enhance NO bioactivity is either to increase NO production in the endothelium or to decrease O2- production, which rapidly inactivates NO. NO bioactivity can be ameliorated by ACE-inhibitors, increase of shear stress on the endothelium by physical exercise, estrogens or L-arginine. For these therapies clinically an improvement of endothelial vasodilator function could be shown. In addition, improvement of endothelial vasodilator function can be achieved by a treatment which reduced oxidative stress in the vascular wall such as antioxidants and, especially, lipid lowering drugs. Endothelin-antagonists and angiotensin II receptor-blockers are promising to improve endothelial dysfunction. However, these therapies have to be validated. Most therapy strategies, which have shown to ameliorate endothelial dysfunction, are also able to improve prognosis of the patients. Whether endothelial dysfunction alone--without evidence of overt coronary atherosclerosis--is sufficient to justify a long-term therapy to improve prognosis, still has to be clarified.     

Therapeutic considerations in solitary cerebral metastases from uterine carcinoma]

Brain metastases from endometrial carcinoma rarely involve the nervous system and are solitary in exceptional cases (< 1% of cases). Two cases of solitary cerebral metastasis from endometrial carcinoma are described. Two patients, submitted to the therapeutic protocol established for endometrial carcinoma, underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for solitary cerebral metastasis after at average interval of 18 months. Average survival was 46 months and death was due to progression of the systemic disease. An examination of our cases and those described in the literature has shown that, although these metastasis do not respond well to therapeutic treatment, a better outcome may be achieved by combined treatment consisting of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.     

Therapeutic application of cytokines and future prospect of the drug design]

The biopsy of different tissues were reviewed in 34 patients with intrathoracic sarcoidosis for determining their value on the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Biopsy of different tissues was performed by routine method. The transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) was done under bronchoscope. The diagnosis was confirmed in 90.9% (10/11) of the biopsies of periphery lymph nodes, 75.0% (3/4) of the scalene nodes' biopsies, 68.4% (13/19) of the transbronchial lung biopsies and 70.6% (12/17) of the bronchial mucosal biopsies (BMB) through fibroptic bronchoscopy. Only 4 in 7 patients were diagnosed through skin biopsies. Kveim test was positive in 5 of 6 patients. Both TBLB and BMB were undertaken in 16 patients. The coincidence ratio between them was as high as 81.3%. The total diagnostic percentage through bronchoscopy was 87.5%. Significant differences were found between the results of TBLB or SMB before and after 1990 (P < 0.05 and 0.01 separately proved by chi 2 test). After 1990, 85.7% of TBLBs and 92.3% of BMBs were diagnostic. According to the study, TBLB and BMB were the methods that were repeatable, highly diagnostic, less invasive, and mutually compensable. They were superior over the other methods in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The diagnostic yield could be elevated by the accumulation of experiences and the improvement of techniques. They deserved recommending in the clinical practice.     

Monocondylar fractures of the femur. Therapeutic strategy and clinical outcome]

Two groups of 3 120-160-kg Holstein steers were fed a diet high in carbohydrate and low in long fiber and either with or without added sodium sulfate. Prior to and during the course of feeding the experimental diet, the concentrations of rumen hydrogen sulfide gas and rumen fluid sulfide were determined by a simple sulfide detector tube method and by sulfide-selective electrode, respectively. Other measurements included rumen fluid pH, blood creatine kinase, and blood sulfhemoglobin. Two of the 3 steers fed the high-sulfate diet developed signs and lesions of polioencephalomalacia. Clinical signs included episodic ataxia and blunted or absent menace reaction. Increased ruminal H2S gas concentrations occurred in all 3 steers consuming the diet with added sulfate. The onset of clinical signs coincided with the onset of elevated H2S concentrations. These increases were 40-60 times the values measured in the steers consuming the diet without added sulfate. In contrast, increases in rumen fluid sulfide concentrations usually rose to 4 times that of control steers. The steers fed an identical diet but without added sulfate exhibited no signs or lesions of polioencephalomalacia and no elevations of sulfide in rumen gas or fluid. All steers had a modest decrease in rumen fluid pH associated with the transition to the concentrate diet. No significant changes were observed in any of the blood measurements of any of the steers. An additional pair of steers was fed the experimental diet with or without added sulfate to compare the ruminal H2S gas concentrations estimated by H2S detector tubes with those estimated by a different method of analysis utilizing charcoal trapping of H2S, conversion to sulfate, and measurement of the sulfate. Both methods yielded comparable estimates of H2S concentration. Overall, these data indicate that changes in rumen gas cap H2S concentrations are larger than changes in rumen fluid sulfide concentration and the estimation of rumen gas cap H2S concentration may be a practical approach to detecting pathologic increases in ruminal H2S gas. This simple, rapid, minimally invasive method should be useful for estimating the H2S content of ruminal gas under field conditions.     

Hydrophobic properties of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains]

Hydrophobic properties are considered as a factor enhancing the adhesion of bacteria to tissue cells. The strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (UTI), from feces and soil were investigated. It shows that over 50% strains isolated from UTI had hydrophobic cell surface. Most of all strain investigated (67.9%) is characterized by hydrophobicity what probably favours their pathogenicity.     

The biological properties of Serratia marcescens bacteriophages]

Sixteen phages active against bacteria of the genus Serratia have been divided into 4 groups on the basis of the study of their biological properties. As a result, 5 typing phages have been selected, which permitted the typing of 77.3% of S. marcescens cultures under study, divided into 13 phage types.     

Effect of starchsulfate on properties of protein fibers]

A patient suspected of having adrenal hyperfunction was scanned with 131I-iodocholesterol. Intense gallbladder activity persisted for several days and was eliminated by a fatty meal. The possibility of confusion with unilateral adrenal localization is discussed.     

Therapeutic effects of beclomethasone dipropionate enemas on colon damage of inflammatory bowel disease model rats]

The effects of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) enemas on ulcerative colitis were investigated by administrating BDP enemas to Fischer male rats with an inflammatory bowel disease induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNB). After administration of a TNB ethanol solution to rats, diarrhea and melena were found in all rats, and the wet tissue weights of the colons in the rats increased by erosion and thickness of epithelial mucous membranes with edema. BDP enemas were administered to the rats one time a day at a dose of 20 or 50 micrograms of BDP for 4 or 11 days from the day 3 after TNB treatment, respectively. After dosing of BDP, the rate of rats developing diarrhea and melena decreased more with time in comparison with that of BDP-free rats, and the symptoms of all rats developing the diseases were improved on the day 4 after administration of a dose of 50 micrograms of BDP. A dose dependent recovery in the wet tissue weights and scores of damages, and the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the tissue were found at the early days (until the day 4). However, their measurements on the day 11 at each dose of BDP were not different from those of control rats significantly, as the damages in the colons of the control rats were recovered naturally with time. In conclusion, the clinical usefulness of BDP enemas was supported by elucidating the dose dependent effect of BDP at the early days in the model rats with an inflammatory bowel disease induced by TNB.