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A Boroń-Kaczmarska

Publications and source records attributed to A Boroń-Kaczmarska.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Natural history of acute symptomatic hepatitis type C.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) after acute hepatitis C, and the course of chronic HCV infection in patients who did not clear the virus, were studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with acute C or non-A, non-B hepatitis who were hospitalized between 1988 and 1998 were called for evaluation in 2001. They were tested for anti-HCV, serum HCV-RNA, HCV-RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and liver enzymes. A liver biopsy was performed on chronically infected patients. The course of acute hepatitis C was compared between HCV-RNA-positive and negative subjects to look for factors that might influence spontaneous viral clearance. Factors influencing more progressive liver disease were analyzed in chronic hepatitis C. RESULTS: Out of 159 acute hepatitis C patients, 77 (48.4%) participated in the study, and the median observation time was 8 years. Spontaneous clearance of serum HCV was found in 23 subjects (29.9%), but in two cases HCV-RNA was detected in peripherical blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Only three patients negative for HCV-RNA in serum and PBMC lost anti-HCV. Severity of acute HCV infection and previous alcohol abuse seemed to influence resolution. In non-alcoholic patients, older age at time of primary infection was a significant predictor of virus clearance. In chronic hepatitis C, more than 75% of patients had minimal or mild activity in biopsy, but 40% had advanced fibrosis. Older age at infection, male gender, alcohol abuse, and higher iron content were connected with advanced fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Studies on HCV infection resolution should include at least PBMC testing for HCV-RNA. A healthy carrier state of HCV can be discussed. A longer observation time increased the likelihood of seroreversion. Fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C probably is not a direct result of inflammatory activity.

Acute Disease↗

[Autoimmune hepatitis: pathogenesis, clinical features and treatment].

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disease of unknown etiology. The incidence of AIH keeps rising, most probably because of increasing availability of the diagnostic tools permitting thorough differential diagnosis amongst liver diseases presenting histologically as chronic active hepatitis. In this review we focus on clinical aspects of autoimmune hepatitis and discuss pathogenesis, clinical features and treatment of AIH.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

[Effectiveness of antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C (a Polish multicenter study)].

Interferon alpha (INF) is routine treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Many controlled investigations were evaluated to establish the optimal schedule of treatment with sustained virological and biochemical response. Recently, multicentre meta-analyses suggest that combination therapy (INF + Ribavirin) was more effective than treatment with interferon alone. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of four schedules of antiviral treatment in 445 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Combination therapy (INF + Ribavirin) given for 6 mo. and monotherapy (INF) for 18 mo. were more effective than interferon alone given for 6 mo. Treatment with INF alone for 6 mo. was demonstrated to be insufficient.

Antiviral Agents↗

Hospital-treated infectious diseases in Western Pomeranian region in a 5-year surveillance: importance for travellers.

Retrospective analysis of the incidence of infectious diseases in the five-year period 1994-1998 as recorded by the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Pomeranian Medical School, has been presented. In this period contagious diseases were diagnosed in 3,863 adults with mean age of 42.8 +/- 33.5 y. Most patients still had viral liver diseases, but we observe some major changes in the epidemiology of infectious diseases in our region. There is an increased number of hospitalisations due to chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis as well as due to symptomatic HIV infections, whereas some acute diseases namely acute hepatitis B and infectious intoxication show decreasing tendency.

Adult↗

[Pneumonia in HIV-infected patients: clinical observations].

OBJECTIVES: To determine the occurrence of pneumonias in HIV-infected patients in our hospital during 1990-1999; to evaluate the clinical significance of pneumonias in HIV-seropositive patients; to estimate the ethiology of pulmonary infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and two HIV-infected patients, 17 (16.6%) female and 85 (83.3%) male with mean age of 29 +/- 4.5 yrs, were retrospectively analysed. All patients had a physical examination particularly concerning the clinical symptoms of pulmonary infection, X-ray exam and tuberculin skin test (PPD). The stage of HIV infection according to the 1993 CDC classification was determined. All patients had the microbiology test of sputum (Pc, TB, fungi, other pathogen). In some cases the bronchofiberoskopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed. RESULTS: One hundred and two HIV-positive patients had 129 episodes of pneumonia. We determine the bacterial ethiology in 94/129 (72.9%) cases--TB in 11/129 (8.5%) cases. Fourteen patients had 23 episodes of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PcP). Three patients had CMV--pneumonitis, detected post mortem. In seven cases the ethiology of pulmonary infection was unknown. In summary the ethiology of pneumonia was determined in 58/129 (44.9%) cases. Thirty three patients were died. The pulmonary infections were main cause of death in 23 (67.7%) persons. CONCLUSIONS: In the era of high active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) the pulmonary infections in HIV-positive patients are the main cause of death as before. The PPD test is useless in HIV-positive patients. We make a note the increase cases of TB in HIV-infected patients during the time of observations.

Adult↗

[Anthrax in man with reference to alimentary infection and environmental conditions].

Based on already published data, the following issues have been covered in the present review: epidemiology, epizootiology and the occurrence of anthrax in man with reference to current data. Moreover, in the paper are presented some problems of intestinal anthrax with emphasis on environment conditions, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of this clinical form.

Anthrax↗

[Profile of liver diseases from personal observations].

In this paper a cohort study from Infectious Diseases Department in Szczecin the etiology and dynamics of liver diseases in hospitalized patients from 1994 to 1996 are presented. The number of patients is increased during this period. Chronic liver diseases are common and predominately are cause of by hepatitis B virus. Men from urban environmental are most often stricken with sickness.

Adolescent↗

[Amebic liver abscess--personal observations].

In the period of 1989-1995 seven patients with amebic liver abscess were observed in Clinic of Infectious Diseases of Pomeranian Medical School in Szczecin. The diagnosis has been made on the base of epidemiological data, presence of intrahepatic defect by a scanning procedure of liver (ultrasonography, CT, scintigraphy) and positive serologic test for amebiasis. All patients were male of Polish nationality, 29-57 years old, who became ill after travel to Africa or India. Intestinal amebiasis was present only in two cases. Five patients had acute onset of disease and two chronic. The most common complaints included fever, abdominal pain, anorexia. A cough, chest pain, diarrhea or weight lose were less common. At physical examination paleness of skin, subjaundice, abdominal tenderness, hepatomegaly and sometimes pleural effusion have been observed. Laboratory tests revealed high RBS, leucocytosis and mild anemia. Slightly higher serum level of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase were transient. Trophozoits of Entamoeba histolytica have been found in stool specimens of one only patient. Amebic antibodies tested with indirect hemagglutination (IHA) were present in all cases. Visual technics have shown abscess of 3 to 9 cm in diameter located at right liver lobe. Six patients have been treated with both chemotherapy (metronidazole or/and dehydroemetine) and "skin needle" aspiration. In two cases recrudescence of abscess has been observed after one and three years respectively. These two patients have been undergone second course of treatment with using not only needle aspiration and metronidazole/dehydroemetine but luminal agents as well.

Adult↗

[Herpes zoster--clinical aspects].

Clinical course of herpes zoster was assessed in 119 immuno-competent and in 28 immuno-compromised hosts. Complications of herpes zoster were observed in one third cases. However, the frequency of post-herpetic neuralgia was lower than that seen by other authors. Despite severe underlying diseases in compromised hosts, good outcome of herpes zoster was obtained. It may be related to the use of aciclovir in all these cases. Early and rational treatment with aciclovir is important for decreasing of the frequency of severe complications of herpes zoster.

Acyclovir↗

[Observation of patients with malaria hospitalized during the years 1980-1993 in the Clinic of Infectious Diseases in Szczecin].

Thirty five patients with imported malaria were hospitalised in a period of 1980-93 in Department of Infectious Diseases of Pomeranian Medical School, Szczecin, Poland. The diagnosis of malaria was established on a base of clinical feature, the presence of Plasmodium in peripharal blood smears and, in some cases, on positive serological tests. Thirty two patients were Polish citizens, and three persons were foreigners. Malaria was caused mostly by invasion of Plasmodium falciparum (62.8), then P. vivax (31, 4), in 1 case--P. ovale and 1 case--mixed invasion occurred (P. falciparum and P. vivax). The majority of cases caused by P. falciparum were imported from Central Africa. Invasions of P. vivax were brought from North Africa, India and Middle East. Malaria in Polish patients was connected with occupational exposure and lack of proper antimalarial prophylaxis was obvious. A clinical course of disease was serious, with one mortal case. Fever, headache, abdominal pain, weakness, jaundice, insomnia were main complaints. Anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, hyperbilirubinemia, hypertransaminasemia and high serum concentration of urea were observed. A level of parasitemia in peripheral blood varied from minimal to very high (22.5%) in cases of P. falciparum invasions. In treatment chloroquine, fansidar, quinine, primaquine, halfan were used.

Adult↗

The effect of endotoxin on alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in the serum of ethanol intoxicated rats.

Serum alcohol dehydrogenase activity at different pH-values (8.8, 9.6 and 10.4) was investigated in induced endotoxemia (3 mg/kg) after chronic alcohol consumption in rats (60 days, 11.5 mg/kg, per day). It has been shown that ADH activity is higher after the single than after the triple injection of endotoxin given the healthy rats. Such a difference was not observed in the ethanol-intoxicated rats. The single dose of endotoxin did not maintain the increased ADH activity after alcohol administration, however a triple injection of endotoxin maintained the activity but did not increase. This results show, that the highest ADH activity in all tested rats was observed at pH 9.6 and that chronic ethanol consumption did not cause an increase of the toxic effects of endotoxin on liver cells, measured by serum alcohol dehydrogenase activity.

Alanine Transaminase↗

[Hepatitis B and C infection in alcoholics].

Among 231 alcohol-dependent men aged 24-67 years and treated for this dependence in a special institution specific antigens and antibodies being immunoserological markers of hepatitis virus B and hepatitis virus C were found in 13.4% of subjects and in 0.77% respectively. Anti-delta antibodies were not found among patients with HBs antigenemia. Asymptomatic HBV infection is concerned with relatively high percentage of alcoholics. However, asymptomatic HCV infection concerus relatively low percentage of the examined population.

Adult↗

Plasma ammonia is the principal source of ammonia in sweat.

Sweat contains ammonia. However, neither its source nor factors affecting its concentration in the sweat are known. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of plasma concentrations of ammonia and urea on the concentration of ammonia in the sweat. Four groups of male volunteers were examined: one control, two after ingestion of ammonium chloride, three cirrhotic, hyperammonaemic, four uraemic. Sweat was collected from each subject from the palmar side of the forearm using gauze pads, after previous iontophoresis of pilocarpine. Ammonia and urea concentrations were determined in the sweat and in the plasma. It was found that elevated plasma ammonia concentration in healthy subjects after ingestion of ammonium chloride as well in the cirrhotic patients resulted in an increase of ammonia concentration in the sweat. High plasma and sweat urea concentration in the uraemic subjects did not affect the concentration of ammonia in the sweat. It was concluded that plasma ammonia was the principal source of ammonia in the sweat.

Administration, Oral↗

[Diagnostic and prognostic value of the assessment of selected indicators of humoral immunity in alcoholism-related pathology of the liver].

The purpose of the study was evaluation of the usefulness of selected indices of humoral immune responsiveness in the differential diagnosis of post-alcoholic hepatocellular damage. The study was carried out in 105 patients: 10 patients with a history of alcohol abuse without clinical and biochemical evidence of hepatocellular damage, 2) patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, 3) patients with post-inflammatory cirrhosis. The prognostic usefulness of the determinations of serum IgM, C3 and C4 complement components and circulating immune complexes in early diagnostic of alcoholic liver disease was demonstrated. It was noted also that increased serum IgA level may be a useful index differentiating of cirrhosis after hepatitis from alcoholic cirrhosis.

Alcoholism↗

[Incidence of so-called hepatic failure syndrome in relation to infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in epidemiological and environmental studies of the rural population in the Suwałki and Białystok regions 1978-1990].

In years 1979-1991 has been analysed the selected health epidemiological indices is related with liver pathology and viral hepatitis B infections in rural population of Białystok region. In 11,086 analysed persons of an agricultural sector the frequency of antigenemia HBs (0.25-2.5%) was higher that in control groups of urban populations (0.3-0.6%). In 12 years time period observation of chronic hepatopathy syndrome, demonstrated the increased tendency with parallel pathologic increased values of serum A1AT activity and with increased tendency of HBs antigenemia.

Adolescent↗