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Biomedical subjects

M Mirić

Publications and source records attributed to M Mirić.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Long-term follow up of patients with dilated heart muscle disease treated with human leucocytic interferon alpha or thymic hormones initial results.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether giving interferon-alpha or thymomodulin in addition to conventional treatment improves cardiac function in patients with idiopathic myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. DESIGN: Single-centre, randomised, open label, parallel group comparison of conventional treatment plus interferon-alpha, conventional treatment plus thymomodulin, and conventional treatment alone. PATIENTS: 38 patients aged 19-54 years (23 men) with biopsy-proven myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy. 12 were treated with conventional treatment alone, 13 were treated with interferon-alpha and conventional treatment, and 13 with thymomodulin and conventional treatment. SETTING: Tertiary cardiac referral centre. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical evaluation, echocardiography, and Holter monitoring at baseline, 6 months, and 1 and 2 years. Radionuclide ventriculography at rest and during exercise after 2 years. Endomyocardial biopsy at baseline and after a year if the initial diagnosis was myocarditis. RESULTS: Left ventricular ejection fraction was improved in 21 (81%) of 26 patients after interferon-alpha or thymomodulin administration and in 8 (66%) of 12 conventionally treated patients (P < 0.05) at 2 year follow up. The maximum exercise time was significantly longer at 2-year follow up in patients treated with immunomodulators (mean (SEM) 5.1 (0.6) minutes for interferon-alpha and 5.0 (0.4) minutes for thymomodulin) than in conventionally treated patients (3.3 (0.4) minutes). Left ventricular ejection fraction during exercise (assessed by radionuclide ventriculography) improved in 9 of 12 patients treated with interferon-alpha, 10 of 12 patients treated with thymomodulin, and 3 of 9 conventionally treated patients at 2 year follow up. The electrocardiogram was normal in 21 (88%) of 24 patients after interferon-alpha or thymomodulin treatment and 2 (22%) of 9 conventionally treated patients. At 2 year follow up, 19 (73%) of 26 patients treated with immunomodulators and 4 (25%) of 12 conventionally treated patients had improved their functional class. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that treatment of idiopathic myocarditis and/or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy with interferon-alpha or thymomodulin induces an earlier and significantly superior clinical improvement than conventional treatment alone.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Interferon and thymic hormones in the therapy of human myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) probably results from an acute viral myocarditis. One reasonable hypothesis is that persistent viral infection causes myocardial destruction leading to left ventricular dilatation and heart failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of interferon-alpha (IFN) and thymomodulin in the treatment of idiopathic myocarditis and IDC. Clinical, immunological, haemodynamic and histological evaluation was performed in 40 patients before inclusion in the study. Patients were randomized into three treatment groups: (a) conventional therapy plus IFN, (b) conventional therapy plus thymomodulin and (c) conventional therapy alone. Two-year follow-up included repeated endomyocardial biopsy, echocardiographic evaluation, treadmill exercise test, Holter monitoring study and radionuclide assessment of left ventricular function during exercise. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased during follow-up in most of the IFN-and thymomodulin-treated patients, and only in a few of conventionally treated patients. Left ventricular reserve was significantly higher at 2-year follow-up in patients treated with immunomodulators. No serious adverse effects were noticed during treatment. Our results suggest that treatment of myocarditis and/or IDC with IFN or thymomodulin induces an earlier and significantly superior clinical improvement than conventional therapy alone.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The effect of ethanol and diazepam on the fatty acid composition of plasma and liver phospholipids in the rat.

The main interest of the present study was to determine possible alterations in fatty acid composition in rat plasma and liver phospholipids (PL) caused by chronic ethanol consumption, diazepam treatment and chronic consumption of alcohol and diazepam together. Chronic ethanol consumption (11 g/kg/d) elevated the proportion of plasma saturated (SFA) and mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and decreased the most important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in plasma and liver PL. The alterations in fatty acid composition in liver PL indicate that ethanol can change the composition of cell membrane lipids. Diazepam treatment (10 mg/kg/d) elevated the contents of SFA and MUFA in plasma PL. On the other hand, diazepam produced a drastic decrease in 22:6n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in plasma and liver PL. These changes in plasma PL fatty acid composition indicated a disturbance of fatty acid metabolism. The changes in fatty acid contents of plasma and liver PL were the greatest in rats treated with a combination of ethanol and diazepam, in which there was a summation of the effects of ethanol or diazepam alone, and the effects were intensified by an ethanol-diazepam interaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Long-term follow-up of patients with myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy after immunomodulatory therapy.

The randomized clinical trial with interferon-alpha (IFN) or thymic hormones versus conventional therapy was conducted in patients with myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). We enrolled 180 patients to receive IFN (3-5 million units per day) for 3 months, thymomodulin (10 mg three times per week) for 2 months, or conventional therapy alone. Patients were followed-up for 7 years after the end of treatment. Left ventricular function, exercise tolerance and survival rate were significantly better at long-term follow-up in patients treated with IFN or thymomodulin, than in conventionally treated patients. These results implicate that immune modulating therapy might represent important contribution in the treatment of myocarditis and IDC.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Continuous and pulsed Doppler in the examination of arterial circulation in the extremities].

The authors present their experience in the investigation of arterial circulation by continuous and pulsed Doppler. The results obtained by Doppler's method were correlated with other noninvesive methods and arteriography. Arteriographic findings were scored by Bollinger method. A statistically significant difference of the flow and systolic pressure values was found between angiographically normal subjects and those with single and multiple lesions. The authors conclude that ankle flow and systolic index measurements, obtained by Doppler technique, are influenced by the degree, extensiveness and localisation of arteriosclerotic lesions on the lower limb arteries. The method was successfully applied in the control of the effects of medicamentous and surgical therapy.

Angiography↗
PubMed1991

[Clinico-laboratory characteristics of physical urticaria].

Physical urticarias represent a specific reaction of the skin, which is characterised by local erythema, edema and pruritus at the site where the physical stimulus has been applied. However, local changes can be associated with various systemic manifestations. Specific cutaneous reactions due to physical factors may be the first manifestation of a systemic and/or infectious disease, which should be taken into account as physical urticarias generally occur in young patients. In view of the above mentioned, as well as unpredictable course of the disease and relatively limited therapeutic effects, the etiology and pathogenesis of the physical urticarias are one of the most interesting fields of investigation in contemporary medicine.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of vitamin C on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction].

The effect of vitamin C on exercise-induced airway constriction was studied. Pretreatment with ascorbic acid prevented the significant alteration in airway geometry induced by exercise asthmatic patients. These results suggest that vitamin C deficiency might augment airway responses to exercise and other bronchospasmogenic factors, and treatment with vitamin C may decrease airway hyperresponsiveness.

Adolescent↗