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Biomedical subjects

E Dimitrova

Publications and source records attributed to E Dimitrova.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Building waste management in Bulgaria: challenges and opportunities.

Building waste recycling as aggregates is a modern approach for preventing environmental pollution through both reducing the stocks of waste and decreasing the use of natural aggregates. The reuse of building waste is a relatively new issue for Bulgaria despite the existing considerable quantity of building waste and the significant changes in the environmental rules applied. The paper discusses generated and potential waste streams in Bulgaria in the context of the social and economic restructuring and recent urban development undergone by the country. The main preliminary conditions for developing the recycling activity such as: streams of building waste, experience in recycling, technical and environmental standardization, appropriate technologies, etc. are examined. The authors analyze current practice and research activities with regard to the implementation of advanced EU building-waste recycling methods. Conclusions are drawn about existing opportunities and the priorities of the needed building waste management strategy in the country.

Bulgaria↗
PubMed2003

[Peritoneal cyst--a case report].

Peritoneal cysts are rare benign tumors of the abdominal and pelvic peritoneum. We present a case of 26 year old patient with a peritoneal cyst treated operatively.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Drug treatment of tubal pregnancy with methotrexate, with an analysis of 5 cases].

The authors present 5 cases of ectopic pregnancy, treated successfully with Methotrexate. Followed are the levels of beta-fraction of human chorionic gonadotropin. Later on, in two of the patients developed intrauterine pregnancy, which terminated successfully with the delivery of healthy term infants.

Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal↗
PubMed2000

Development of model aqueous ophthalmic solution of indomethacin.

A new model aqueous solution of indomethacin was developed on the basis of Pluronic F68 (15%) and F127 (10%). They showed some practical advantages over the models prepared with polyols and polysorbate 80, which were used for comparison. It was found that both Pluronics acted very similarly and were more effective as solubilizers, created an appropriate viscosity, and formed reversible gels at higher temperatures, ensured the indomethacin chemical stability and prolonged in vitro drug diffusion, and showed high physiological tolerance on rabbit eyes. Moreover, indomethacin stability and solution viscosity in the presence of Pluronics did not change after heat sterilization (i.e., the samples can bear heat sterilization).

Excipients↗
PubMed1998

Levels of expression of CAF7 (CD98) have prognostic significance in adult acute leukemia.

The levels of CD98 antigen expression were studied in 62 consecutive cases of adult acute leukemia including 24 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 38 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using the monoclonal antibody CAF7 and flow cytometry. The mean follow-up was 13.5 months. The mean relative fluorescence intensity (MIF) of CAF7 varied between 6 and 83 channels (256 channels resolution). No correlation was established between CAF7 cell surface density and most of the predictive parameters such as age, sex, blood counts, immunophenotype, proliferative index (PI) or DNA index. Nevertheless expression of CAF7 correlated positively with survival duration (mean 210 vs 391 days, P = 0.048) and complete remission (CR) duration (mean 132 vs 361, days P = 0.032). The levels of CAF7 differed significantly between ALL and AML (P < 0.001), the ALL cases being all CAF7intermediate or CAF7high. In the AML group the low levels of CAF7 expression correlated with shorter CR duration (mean 132 vs 414 days, P = 0.017). The lack of correlation with other clinical and biological parameters suggested that CAF7 might have an independent prognostic significance in adult AML. Although PI was also positively related to survival duration (P = 0.02), it did not correlate with CR duration or the expression of CAF7. We suppose that the prognostic impact of CD98 is related to the control of cell growth and survival in which the molecule normally participates.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Humoral and cellular immune response to elastin in patients with systemic sclerosis.

The humoral immune response against elastin and collagen was studied in parallel with the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to elastin and the percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood in 20 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). An increase of anti-elastin antibodies of all subclasses was found with a significant prevalence of IgE and IgA antibodies. The profile of anti-collagen type I and type IV antibodies showed an increase of IgE isotypes. In 25% of the patients (5 out of 20) positive DTH reactions to elastin were observed as compared to the negative skin reactions in all control individuals. At the same time a significant hyporeactivity to common bacterial and mould antigens was found in 40% of the patients (versus 16% in the control group) which could be an explanation for the low incidence of positive anti-elastin DTH reaction. The DTH hyporeactivity in SSc cases was in contrast with the increased percentage of CD4 T cells (58.4 vs. 42.0) and increased CD4/CD8 ratio (2.5 vs. 1.5) in the peripheral blood of the patients. This finding together with the increased IgE antibodies to elastin and collagen type I and type IV might suggest a possible shift of the immune balance towards the Th2 type of immune response. This is in line with the increased CD8+CD57+ cells which correlated with the highest number of other parameters studied - disease duration, total skin score, IgE anti-elastin antibodies, IgG anti-collagen type I antibodies, CD4/CD8 ratio and CD19 B cells. The results of this study demonstrated the existence of both humoral and cell-mediated immune response against elastin in SSc patients. However, we could not define whether this was an essential part of pathogenetic mechanisms or a secondary phenomenon reflecting the extent of the damage of connective tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A novel approach to the generation of antibodies against phylogenetically preserved sperm antigens.

Conventional methods for immunization of laboratory animals against human spermatozoa proved not to be efficient enough to identify phylogenetically conserved sperm-specific antigens. A combination of vasectomy and subcutaneous administration of autologous testis homogenates was tested in 5 New-Zealand rabbits, and in 7 Long-Evans and 8 Spraque-Dawley rats in an attempt to induce an autoimmune response against such antigens. This experimental procedure resulted in a generation of sperm autoantibodies cross-reactive with human, rabbit and rat spermatozoa, as demonstrated by sperm-agglutination, ELISA and flow cytometry (FCM). No specific binding to human seminal plasma was detected by ELISA, indicating that intrinsic sperm membrane antigens rather than sperm-coating antigens were involved in establishing cross-reactivity with human spermatozoa. This suggestion was confirmed by the finding that rabbit autoantisera reacted more strongly against epididymal than against ejaculated human spermatozoa as shown by FCM. Humoral antispermatozoal response correlated well with impaired spermatogenesis in rabbits. The autoimmunized rats revealed severe alterations in reproductive tissues, including testicular and epididymal sperm granulomas; however, they showed a lower incidence of circulating antibodies. The results indicate that the established experimental model in rabbits can be further used to identify and characterize evolutionary preserved intrinsic sperm membrane autoantigens, which are desirable candidates for contraceptive vaccine development.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Effects of the whole extract and the chromatographic fractions of the pig placenta on lymphocyte proliferation and humoral immune response.

The immunoregulatory properties of pig fetal placenta extracts (PE) from 1 st, 2nd and 3rd month of pregnancy and five fractions (F1 to F5), isolated on Sephadex G-200 and additionally characterized by fast performance liquid chromatography, FPLC (Superose 12 HR) were studied in order to clarify the local immune regulation in diffuse epitheliochorial placentation. The obtained substances were added at 6.25 to 100 microg in cultures of Concanavalin A-stimulated mouse splenocytes and Phytohemagglutinin-stimulated pig and human PBL to monitor their influence on [(3)H]Thimidine uptake in proliferating lymphocytes. Their effects on the number of plaque-forming cells in spleen cell suspensions from mice treated ip simultaneously with sheep red blood cells and with 100 microg protein of PE, respectively, of each fraction were also investigated: PE and F1 had no effect while F4 and F5 suppressed the mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in all studied species. F2 and F3 stimulated mouse and pig lymphocyte proliferation. The effects were dose-dependent and the suppression was not due to cytotoxic effects. The FPLC data allowed the suggestion that 110 kD protein(s) were involved in stimulation and 7 kD substance(s) - in suppression of cell proliferation. The PE from the 3 studied periods as well as the 5 fractions increased significantly the primary humoral immune response against T-dependent antigen. The results revealed that trophoblast of epitheliochorial placenta produces simultaneously immuno-stimulatory and -suppressive factors acting across the species barrier. Their presence at the feto-maternal interface may contribute to the regulation of local immune reactions and survival of the allogenic fetuses despite the morphological specificities of this type of placentation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Immunological subtypes of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Bulgaria.

With regards to the geographical variation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) distribution, we present data from the immunophenotyping of 171 newly diagnosed cases of childhood ALL in Bulgaria during a 4 year period (1990-1994). On the basis of 17 phenotypic markers the distribution of immunological subtypes was as follows: AUL 4%; Pro-B ALL 13%; common ALL 42%; Pre-B ALL 11%; B-ALL 1%; T-ALL 28% and unclassified 2%. Most of the cases were between 2 and 5 years of age. Common ALL was predominant (53%) in this age group. The male:female ratio was 1.7:1. The frequency of T-ALL (28%) was significantly higher (P < 0.01; t = 3.49) in comparison to that reported for the U.S.A. and West European countries (mean 13%). It was close to the frequency reported by some authors for France (20%), Greece (26%) and south Italy (28.1%). These countries and Bulgaria might form an environmental area with a moderate frequency of T-ALL.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Detection of antibodies toward epididymal sperm antigens--an obligatory step in evaluation of human immunologic infertility?

PROBLEM: To test the relative impact of epididymal versus ejaculated sperm in immunologic infertility. METHOD: Human antibody binding to epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa was compared by flow cytometry (FCM) since it allows quantitative analysis of viable sperm while ignoring nonsperm cells. To select sera for FCM, GAT, TAT, and ELISA were applied on 145 sera from fertile men, idiopathically infertile and varicocele patients. RESULTS: All GAT/TAT-positive infertile patients, a representative group of varicocele patients and the fertile control, were assessed by FCM. Higher reactivity toward epididymal sperm revealed 18/22 sera while only four out of them bound to ejaculated sperm stronger than the control. All varicocele sera were positive against epididymal while negative against ejaculated spermatozoa. CONCLUSIONS: Epididymal sperm antigens may play a predominant role in some cases of immunologic infertility. Such patients might not be adequately diagnosed and respectively treated due to the limitations of diagnostic procedures applying only ejaculated spermatozoa.

Antigens, Surface↗
PubMed1994

Expression of 1D8--a novel non-sialylated B-cell-associated carbohydrate epitope in lymphoproliferative disorders.

The expression of a novel B-cell-associated carbohydrate epitope (1D8) was studied by means of flow cytometry in 153 well defined cases of leukemias and lymphomas and 19 cases of lymphadenopathy used as controls. The 1D8 epitope was detected preferentially in proliferations of mature B-lymphocytes (11/15 CD20+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 14/16 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 4/7 mantle cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), 3/8 follicle cell NHL. However its expression did not appear lineage- or differentiation stage-restricted. Intensive expression on in vivo and in vitro-activated lymphocytes as well as in some high grade malignancies indicated a relationship to the functional state of cells. Bearing in mind the enhanced detection of 1D8 upon desialylation, the epitope might be involved in the regulation of adhesion/migration potential of normal leukocytes and their malignant counterparts.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

[The determination of the somatostatin content in insulin substances].

30 different lots (batches) of insulin substances ("Pharmachim" Ltd.) are analysed and the contents of somatostatin is established. The middle quantitative values and the standard deviations are specific. Though that monocomponent and bovine conventional insulin substances pertain to groups of different purity they exhibit highest purity but also greatest variability, while single-peak and porcine conventional insulins show less purity but these groups are more homogenous.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Reproducibility of estimation of CD3, CD4 and CD8 reference ranges using different monoclonal antibodies.

The present study assesses the influence of the immunophenotyping procedure, the type of monoclonal antibody (MAb) and flow cytometer used, upon the reproducibility of the results of estimation of the normal values for CD3, CD4, and CD8 positive lymphocyte subpopulations. A hundred healthy adults were immunophenotyped by direct immunofluorescence with commercially available (OKT3-FITC, OKT4-PE and OKT8-PE), and locally prepared (HL3-FITC, HL4-PE and HL8-PE)MAb. The samples were analysed on FACStar flow cytometer. The maximal values of the analytical (CD3-0.96, CD4-1.05, CD8-1.02), the individual (CD3-2.33, CD4-2.88, CD8-2.86), and the population (CD3-8.7, CD4-8.8, CD8-7.5) variation prove that the precision of immunophenotyping procedure has no effect on the variation of the values of the CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ subpopulations. The values of all three markers showed Gaussian type of distribution. Regression analysis proved that the values of these subpopulations determined by MAb from two sources were highly correlated (r > 0.9) but the paired t-test gave statistically significant difference in the values of CD8 (1.23%, P > 0.001). Mean, SD and 95% range of the sizes of the positive subsets determined by OKT3, OKT4 and OKT8 showed that the results were very close to the results from a multicenter study of adult Caucasians. The values we find fall within the cited critical range for these markers; so we can conclude that if good care is taken for the precision of the procedure, MAb source and type of flow cytometer do not influence the values of the assayed subsets.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[The determination of the biological activity of insulin by a radioreceptor method].

A new in vitro radioreceptor assay method for determining the biological activity of insulin substances is put forward. This method is designed mainly to serve the purposes of practice. It perfectly substitutes the biological, expensive labour-taking and slow pharmacopoeial method. It is reproducible, does not depend on the season and reduces the species differences to minimum by using a mixture of bovine and porcine insulins (Forth International Standard) as the source of unlabeled insulin. The rat liver membrane receptors (preparations) retained their insulin-binding ability up to 10 months, when stored at -18 degrees C-(-)20 degrees C. By means of this method the biological activity in different insulin preparations is established. It is found that this activity is highest in the monocomponent insulin substances, followed by the single-peak insulins and it's lowest in the conventional insulins.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Recent trends in uterine cervix cancer in Slovakia, 1968-1987.

The temporal trends in the incidence and mortality of uterine cervix cancer in Slovakia were evaluated. Only highly reliable and complete data from 1968-1987 derived from the National Cancer Registry of Slovakia were used. Incidence rates have fallen in the first part of the period studied, but this trend has reversed and the incidence rates of this cancer site have risen since about 1976. The mortality rates showed continuous and unchanged increase over the whole mentioned period. The analysis of the age specific incidence rates indicated the responsibility of the youngest age groups of women for the overall recent increase of the uterine cervix cancer incidence in this country, while the age specific mortality rates increased in nearly all age groups. The relatively high incidence and mortality rates of uterine cervix cancer in Slovakia in comparison with the same rates in other countries as well as the recent increase of both indicators, together with low proportion of the in situ forms could be attributed mainly to the deficiencies in the organization and performance of the cervical screening.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[The cytofluorimetric characteristics of monoclonal antibodies for use in humans in respect of their activity and cross reactivity].

A cytofluorimetric method for determination of the reactivity of antimyeloma MkAt 225,28S with myeloma cells and blood elements is described in the present article. The obtained results show that the antibody possesses high specific activity and does not bind with normal human lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes, thrombocytes and erythrocytes in the examined dilutions. The method is suitable for control of cross reactivity with blood cells of MkAt preparations for usage in subjects.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗