Biomedical subjects

J Kunicka

Publications and source records attributed to J Kunicka.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Automated quantitation of hemoglobin-based blood substitutes in whole blood samples.

It is necessary to develop methods for accurate monitoring of cell-free hemoglobin in circulation. Routine monitoring of circulating cell-free hemoglobin will be useful for evaluating the efficacy of blood substitute administration andfor determining the clearance rates of the blood substitute from circulation. In addition, discriminating between cell-free hemoglobin and cell-associated hemoglobin will enable accurate determination of RBC indices, mean cell hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, in individuals receiving hemoglobin-based blood substitutes. As colorimetric methods used by hematology analyzers to quantitate the hemoglobin value of a blood sample cannot distinguish between cell-associated and cell-free hemoglobin, it is currently not feasible to quantitate the levels of hemoglobin substitutes in circulation. The advent of a technology that measures volume and hemoglobin concentration of individual RBCs provides an alternative strategy for quantitating the cell-associated hemoglobin in a blood sample. We document that the combined use of cell-based and colorimetric hemoglobin measurements provides accurate discrimination between cell-associated and cell-free hemoglobin over a wide range of hemoglobin levels. This strategy should enable rapid and accurate monitoring of the levels of cell-free hemoglobin substitutes in the circulation of recipients of these blood substitutes.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗

PubMed2001

An interlaboratory study of a candidate reference method for platelet counting.

A multinational interlaboratory task force explored the important variables of platelet reference counting and developed a candidate flow cytometric reference method based on the RBC/platelet ratio. A multicenter comparison was performed to determine whether the method met the necessary criteria and was precise enough to be recommended as a new reference method. Each laboratory analyzed serial dilutions of normal specimens, stabilized material, and at least 60 patient specimens with a range of platelet counts from 1 to 400 x 10(3)/microL (1-400 x 10(9)/L). Pooled analysis of the serial dilutions showed that RBC-platelet and RBC-RBC coincidence events became negligible at sufficiently high dilutions (i.e., > 1:1,000). All laboratories demonstrated excellent intra-assay and acceptable interlaboratory precision. Two antibodies (CD61 and CD41) were used for identifying platelets and individually gave acceptable results, but in a minority of samples, staining differences were observed. The optimum method thus uses a double-labeling procedure with a final dilution factor of 1:1,000. The study demonstrated that this method meets the criteria for a reference platelet count.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed1994

Modification of cytokine production by piroxicam.

OBJECTIVE: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have been thought to act by inhibiting the enzyme, cyclooxygenase (prostaglandin H synthetase). We sought to demonstrate additional biologic actions of this class of drugs including effects on cytokine production. METHODS: We administered the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug piroxicam 20 mg to 6 healthy volunteers daily for 7 days. Before and for one week after drug administration, concentrations of interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), produced by anti-CD3 stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, were measured. RESULTS: Piroxicam treatment resulted in elevation of levels of IL-2, depression of IL-1, IL-6, TNF alpha and IFN-gamma, and no consistent effect on IL-4. CONCLUSION: Piroxicam modulates production of various cytokines in a complex fashion when administered to healthy individuals.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1990

Phase I evaluation of a combination of monoclonal antibody R24 and interleukin 2 in patients with metastatic melanoma.

A combination of recombinant human interleukin 2 (rhIL-2) and mouse monoclonal antibody R24 (recognizing the ganglioside GD3) was evaluated in patients with metastatic melanoma in a phase I trial. rhIL-2 was given at a constant daily dose of 1 x 10(6) units/m2 i.v. over 6 h on days 1-5 and 8-12. R24 was given on days 8-12 at four dose levels (1, 3, 8, and 12 mg/m2 daily). Twenty patients were evaluable for toxicity and response, five at each dose level. The toxicity of the combination was not overlapping and generally mild. There was a rebound peripheral blood T-lymphocytosis at the end of treatment increasing with the dose of R24. The median lymphocyte count on day 12 of treatment was 3108 +/- 554/ml in patients treated at R24 doses of 8 and 12 mg/m2 versus 2239 +/- 672/ml at doses of 1 and 3 mg/m2. This evidence and other data suggested that R24 enhanced IL-2-mediated T-cell activation in vivo. Two patients demonstrated increases in R24-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity for GD3-expressing cells during treatment. rhIL-2 appeared to accelerate the development of human anti-mouse antibody; three patients developed human anti-mouse antibody by the fifth day of R24 treatment, earlier than observed in prior studies using R24 alone and one patient during the first week of rhIL-2 alone, prior to R24 treatment. One patient had a partial response in soft tissue sites lasting 6 months and two patients had minor responses. This clinical trial extends the previous observation that R24 enhances lymphocyte proliferation in vitro.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Leukaemic B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia suppress immunoglobulin production by lymphocytes from normal donors.

We observed that highly purified E-rosette-negative largely leukaemic B cells from 9 out of 15 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) significantly suppressed immunoglobulin production by mixtures of T4 and B cells from normal donors in the presence of pokeweed mitogen (PWM). This suppression by leukaemic B cells was concentration-dependent. Addition of equal numbers of B cells from normal donors to the mixtures of normal T4 and B cells increased, or had no effect on the production of IgM, IgA, and IgG. Treatment of purified largely leukaemic B cells from patients with CLL with either the anti-B1 or anti-Leu 1 monoclonal antibody plus complement abolished their ability to suppress immunoglobulin production. In contrast, treatment with either the anti-Leu 5 or the OKM1 monoclonal antibody plus complement had no effect on the suppression. These results suggest that leukaemic B cells from certain patients with CLL may exhibit, or can be induced to exhibit, immunosuppressive properties.

Agammaglobulinemia↗

PubMed1983

Subpopulations of human lymphocytes differing in receptors to mouse and sheep red blood cells.

A segregation procedure of human lymphocytes by successive rosetting with mouse and sheep red blood cells, and separation of rosettes by Ficoll Hypaque gradient centrifugation, is described. This method yields four lymphocyte subpopulations: lymphocytes with mouse and sheep receptors (M+E+), with mouse receptor only (M+E-), with sheep receptor only (M-E+), and without any receptors (M-E-). Presence of surface membrane receptors: E, C3, Fc, and DR on the cells in the subpopulations have indicated that M-E+ and M+E+ cells are T cells, M+E- cells are B cells and M-E- cells are nonhomogeneous, consisting of B cells, T cells, monocytes, and granulocytes.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Separation of human B lymphocytes by combined rosetting with mouse and sheep red cells.

A technique for obtaining highly enriched B lymphocyte subpopulation from isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes is described. The method consists in combined use of mouse and sheep red cell rosettes. In the first step of the method, B cells-containing fraction of lymphocytes and papainized mouse red cells form rosettes which are separated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation. In the second step, after lysis of mouse erythrocytes in the sediment, the recovered B cell rich fraction is purified by E rosetting procedure, B lymphocyte subpopulation obtained in this way, presents a good viability and is almost completely pure.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Preliminary testing of DRw antigens in a Polish population.

B lymphocyte subpopulations taken from 89 individuals were investigated with 180 sera from the seventh Histocompatibility Workshop. The results obtained served in determining the frequency of 8 DRw antigens in a tested population sample. Their incidence was comparable to the frequencies determined during the Workshop for the reference group of European Caucasoids.

Antigens, Surface↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnostic value of 24-hour simultaneous EEG and ECG monitoring of patients with heart diseases and atypical consciousness disorders].

In 24 patients with diagnostically not clear, short, recurrent episodes of consciousness disturbances and heart diseases and/or a history of arrhythmia simultaneous 24-hour recording was done of eeg and ecg. In the differential diagnosis epilepsy was considered, especially since in most cases routine eeg records demonstrated slight episodic changes. During 24-hour recording in 8 cases typical episodes of consciousness disturbances developed but in none of them these episodes were associated with arrhythmia which ruled out their cardiogenic origin. In 2 cases EEG recording served for establishing the diagnosis of partial complex seizures, 2 patients had hyperventilation syncope, one had TIA, in the remaining 3 cases absence of eeg and ecg changes during these episodes and coexistence of anxiety neurosis suggested functional origin. So the combined 24-hour eeg+ecg recording made possible establishing of diagnosis in 1/3 of these patients, enabling adequate treatment to be instituted.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Case of Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease with rarely observed location of lesions (the so-called Heidenhain syndrome)].

The authors describe a case of Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease in a 64-year-old women. The peculiarity of the case lay in the fact that besides atrophic lesions of frontal lobes, extensive spongiform degeneration was present in both occipital lobes--corresponding to the so-called Heidenhain syndrome of classical neuropathology. The clinical counterpart of this location of the lesions, apart from dementia, were quadrantic hemianopsia and changes in EEG records.

Agnosia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Prophylactic use of penicillin G and ampicillin in stroke. I. Clinical observations].

In 103 patients with strokes without associated infections the prophylactic usefulness of antibiotics was assessed clinically. In 30 patients (group I) and 27 patients (group II) ampicillin was used in daily doses of 2-4 g or penicillin (Polfa) was given 2.4-4.8 million i.u. during 10 days. In the remaining 46 cases (group III) no antibiotics were given and these patients served as controls. During the first 10 days after stroke onset infectious complications developed significantly less frequently in controls (in 15 cases, i.e. 33%) than in those receiving antibiotic phophylaxis (40 cases i.e. 70%). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p less than 0.001). In the second ten-day period no clinical evidence of new infection was observed in any group. It may be supposed in the light of these diseases that administration of penicillin G or ampicillin to patients with strokes without carrying out antibiotic sensitivity tests is unnecessary. Nearly exclusively pneumonia and urinary tract infection appear in the first ten days after stroke onset which may suggest acute and gradually levelling-off of the neuroregulation of immunological defense mechanisms.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Electrophysiologic methods in differential diagnosis of syncope].

The purpose of the study was the assessment of the diagnostic possibilities and usefulness of 24-hour cassette EEG/ECG recording in the differential diagnosis of short attacks of consciousness disturbances and/or syncopal states, and demonstration of interrelations between arrhythmias and seizures of cerebral origin. 24-EEG/ECG was obtained in 71 patients, including 34 with cardiological history who had above disturbances. Recording of 24-EEG/ECG made possible establishing of correct diagnosis in 15 cases (21.1%): in 1 case it was sinus arrest, in 14--epilepsy. In another 5 cases (7%) arrhythmia or conduction disturbances were found which could have been the case of their attacks, they all were patients with cardiological history. The analysis of EEG/ECG records of 47 epileptic seizures in 16 patients showed that in 11 of them (69%) the seizures were associated with sinus tachycardia without other arrhythmias. These results demonstrated the complex cause-effect relationship of cardiocerebral disorders in the aetiology of these states, and the usefulness of 24-EEG/ECG in their detection.

Adolescent↗