PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Kuydowicz

Publications and source records attributed to J Kuydowicz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[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↗
PubMed2001

[Interferon alpha--treatment predictive response factors in group of adults patients with chronic hepatitis C].

INTRODUCTION: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a serious clinical problem. Serious sequelae of the disease such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer warrant the search for efficacious therapeutic methods. It is assumed that some initial clinical and laboratory data may predict the therapeutic response. However, before they can be used in clinical practice, objective evaluation of their value is to be performed. AIM OF THE STUDY: Evaluation of IFN-alpha efficacy in treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Evaluation of factors predictive for results of treatment (therapeutic response) in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with IFN alpha2b. Evaluation of cumulative prognostic value of the significant features. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty four adult patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with IFN-alpha for 6 months. Follow up was continued for 18 months after the end of treatment period. In the studied group, 19 clinical, biochemical and histologic features were the subjects of statistical analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In 18.5% of patients the therapeutic response on IFN-alpha2b therapy was sustained, in 48.2% the response was transitory. In the remaining 33.3% of patients no therapeutic response were achieved. Discriminatory analysis revealed that duration of HCV infection, alcalic phosphatase activity in serum, histologic activity index, extensiveness of inflammation and biliary canaliculus proliferation in liver biopsy specimen before the IFN alpha2b treatment, are useful features predictive for the results of treatment. The cumulative prognostic value of these features in patients with chronic hepatitis C is 69%.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Evaluation of persistence of IFN-alpha treatment response in chronic hepatitis C patients according with HCV-RNA presence in PBMC].

BACKGROUND: The current criterion of cure of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is the absence of HCV-RNA in hepatocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), as these cells are considered for the place of protracted viral replication. PURPOSE: Evaluation of HCV-RNA presence in serum, freshly isolated PBMC and cultured PBMC, taken from patients responding to interferon alfa2b therapy, after 42 months of follow-up. Fifty four adults with CHC was treated with interferon alfa-2b (IFN-alpha 2b). Evaluation of HCV-RNA presence in serum were performed using RT-PCR method, before the therapy, and after 6 and 18 months of follow-up. All patients received interferon alpha-2b for 6 months. After 18 months of follow-up, results of treatment (ALT activity and presence of HCV-RNA in serum) were retrospectively analyzed. In 10 of 54 patients (18.5%) normalization of ALT activity and negativization of HCV-RNA in serum were observed. After 42 months of follow-up, in these 10 patients, the presence of HCV-RNA in serum, in freshly isolated PBMC and cultured PBMC, were evaluated. RESULTS: After 42 months of follow-up, HCV-RNA was not found in serum of any patient. In 3 of 10 patients HCV-RNA was present in freshly isolated PBMC. After 3-day-culture of PBMC, HCV-RNA was found in another patient. After 6 days of culture, results of RT-PCR test were negative in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of HCV-RNA in serum as well as in freshly isolated PBMC after 42 months of follow-up after the treatment of CHC, is not synonymous with eradication of virus. Three-day-culture of PBMC may be a valuable method, allowing for detection of subtreshold amounts of HCV. Longer, 6-day-culture seems to be invaluable diagnostically.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

99mTc-HEPIDA plasma clearance as a diagnostic tool. Total plasma v. specific hepatic clearance.

BACKGROUND: (99m)Tc-HEPIDA total plasma clearance has been used for assessment of hepatic parenchyma damage. However, the radiopharmaceutical used is being partly cleared from plasma also by the urinary tract. As the share of the latter route in total elimination of the compound is not well known, the aim of the study was to investigate the percentage of (99m)Tc-HEPIDA eliminated by the kidneys and by the liver. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To this aim total plasma clearance of the compound and urinary part were determined by the methods employed here in 117 patients and in 16 healthy volunteers. The pure hepatic clearance was calculated as the difference between total plasma and the urinary clearance of (99m)Tc-HEPIDA. RESULTS: The urinary clearance in patients amounted from 2.6 to 78% of total clearance; in the healthy volunteers the corresponding range was from 8.6 to 28%. Pronounced spread of the urinary clearance (coefficient of variation = 35%) and lack of correlation between the urinary and total clearance make it necessary to take account of urinary elimination in each patient in whom reasonably accurate assessment of hepatic clearance is required. CONCLUSION: Further studies on the diagnostic efficacy of pure hepatic clearance and its change with age in healthy patients appear necessary.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

[Levels of interleukin-6 in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningitis].

UNLABELLED: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates the immune response, differentiation of B cells, activation of T lymphocytes and acute phase reactions. AIM OF THE STUDY: Quantitation of interleukin-6 in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with purulent bacterial meningitis (PBM) and viral meningitis (VM) on the first day of hospitalization. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IL-6 activity was measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 15 children with VM (predominantly 13/15 caused by mumps virus) in age ranging from 2.5 to 15 years and 13 patients with PBM (age ranging from 18 to 52 years). The control group consisted of 10 patients with meningeal syndrome and normal laboratory estimation of CSF (white cells count, concentration of glucose and protein). The IL-6 assays were performed using immunoenzymatic method, ELISA (Amersham) technique. RESULTS: Increased levels of IL-6 were detected in the CSF of patients with bacterial meningitis and with viral meningitis. CSF IL-6 levels were 6 times greater in patients with purulent bacterial versus viral meningitis. The highest level of IL-6 was observed in a 18 years old patient with pneumococcal meningitis who died. CONCLUSION: We suggest that cytokine levels may be valuable in distinguishing patients with purulent bacterial meningitis from viral meningitis and may help in prognosis of patients with purulent meningitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Epidemic of ECHO type 30 virus meningitis in children from the Lodz region in the years 1995 and 1996].

Two epidemics of ECHO virus type 30 meningitis were compared with the special emphasis on the course of the disease and results of the laboratory investigations. The first epidemic occurred in 1995 and the second one in 1996. Between 20 August and 20 October 1995, thirty six children, and between 11 July and 15 October 1996, ninety one children were admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Lódź. All children were 3 to 15 years old, the median age was 9.08 years in the 1995 epidemic and 8 years in the 1996 epidemic. The common symptoms were headache, fever, vomiting and nuchal rigidity. The course of both epidemic was mild, there were no complications and serious sequelae of the disease. Typical symptoms were found more frequently in patients in 1996 epidemic. Patients in 1996 had higher CSF pleocytosis and the percentage of granulocytes in the CSF than patients in 1995. From the other side, patients in the 1995 epidemic had higher fever of longer duration than patients in the 1996 epidemic.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Acute phase proteins in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in the course of bacterial meningitis.

We carried out estimations of the following acute phase proteins: C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), alpha-2-ceruloplasmin (CER), and alpha-2-haptoglobin (HPT) in serum and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with bacterial meningitis (BM, n = 30) and viral meningitis (VM, n = 30). We have shown that determinations of concentrations of AAG and CRP in serum and CER in CSF are useful in differentiation between BM and VM. The diagnostic power of these three tests (the areas under their ROC curves equal 0.942, 0.929, and 0.931, respectively) is bigger, though statistically not significantly, than that of traditional parameters of BM in CSF, i.e., total protein concentration and white blood cell count. Determination of AAG, CRP, and AAT in serum is a valuable monitoring marker in the course of BM treatment. Convenience of serum sampling constitutes an advantage over traditional BM parameters in CSF.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1994

[Humoral response observed among second year dental students vaccinated against hepatitis B].

The aim of the study was the follow-up of humoral response after vaccination against hepatitis B. 115 students of dentistry were vaccinated with Engerix-B vaccine. 100% of seroconversion to anti-HBs was observed 3 months after vaccination, and 97.1% 12 months post vaccination. The GMT of anti-HBs was higher in women then in men, but in 12 months observation the decrease of GMT was more rapid in female group. Any severe adverse reactions of vaccination were observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Usefulness of establishing chosen acute phase proteins concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid for differential diagnosis and monitoring of purulent meningitis in adults. I].

40 adult patients were examined: 24 with purulent meningitis and 16 with lymphocytic meningitis. The control group consisted of 100 healthy people. In purulent meningitis patients in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th and 28th day of the disease, concentrations of the following acute phase proteins were measured in serum: C-reactive protein, alpha 1-antitripsin, alpha 1-orosomucoid, alpha 2-ceruloplasmin, alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 2-haptoglobin. In lymphocytic meningitis patients concentrations of the above mentioned acute phase proteins were measured only in the 1st day of the disease. Usefulness of establishing alpha 2-haptoglobin, alpha 1-antitripsin, alpha 2-ceruloplasmin and particularly C-reactive protein concentrations for differential diagnosis of purulent and lymphatic meningitis was proved. Evaluation of C-reactive protein and alpha 1-antitripsin concentration kinetics proved to be fully useful for monitoring of seriousness of the course of purulent meningitis, and together with evaluation of the clinical condition of the patient it can constitute a valuable marker of effectiveness of the disease treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Usefulness of establishing chosen acute phase proteins concentrations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid for differential diagnosis and monitoring of purulent meningitis in adults. II].

40 adult patients were examined: 24 with purulent meningitis and 16 with lymphocytic meningitis. In the course of purulent meningitis concentrations of the following acute phase proteins were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid: C-reactive protein, alpha 1-antitripsin, alpha 1-orosomucoid, alpha 2-ceruloplasmin, alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 2-haptoglobin in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th and 28th day of the disease. In lymphocytic meningitis patients concentrations of the above mentioned acute phase proteins were measured only in the 1st day of the disease. Full usefulness of establishing concentrations of all the above mentioned acute phase proteins within the first five days of the purulent meningitis for differential diagnosis of purulent and lymphatic meningitis was proved. Evaluation of concentration kinetics of acute phase proteins in cerebrospinal fluid for monitoring of the course of purulent meningitis is of a limited value.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Evaluation of seroconversion after voluntary vaccination against hepatitis B in students at the University of Lodz].

We have evaluated the results of the first action of voluntary vaccination against hepatitis B in the students of Medical University of Lódź using Energix-B vaccine (20 micrograms) in schedule 0, 1, 6 months. Few students applied for the vaccination: only 48.4% of persons planned for vaccination completed the schedule. Seroconversion rate (anti-HBs > 10u/l) in this group was 93.9%. Three doses of vaccine applied inconsistently with schedule resulted in the immunological response in 3 out of 4 students observed. Two doses of vaccine resulted in the effective response in 13 out of 16 students observed. One doses of vaccine proved to be ineffective. The blood tests performed prior to vaccination showed the presence of the HBV markers in 9.6% of students (HBsAg in 2.1% of persons and anti-HBs in 5.3/of persons).

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Increased activity of aminotransferases (ALAT, AspAT) in pregnant women threatened with immature and premature delivery treated with fenoterol].

2330 pregnant women were admitted to the 2nd Department of Pregnancy Pathology at the Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital (PMMH) in Lódź, Poland, during the period from 28th March, 1989 to 30th June, 1991. Out of the group 1055 pregnancies were treated because of the risk of premature delivery (45.28%). In five (5) cases a significant rise of ALAT and AspAT aminotransferase activity occurred during fenoterol therapy. Laboratory tests excluded infectious etiology in the rise of the enzymes in question (no markers typical for HBV, HAV infection). Toxic injury of hepatic cells being suspected, fenoterol therapy was withdrawn, followed by a decrease of aminotransferases activity to normal values in those five (5) cases. No increase in the activity of ALAT and AspAT occurred in further follow up of the pregnant women in pregnancy and in puerperium. Since no other hepatotoxic factors appeared, it may be assumed that a chronic administration of fenoterol can cause transient injuries of hepatic cells. For this reason all pregnant women treated with betamimetics require examinations of the liver.

Alanine Transaminase↗