Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Zemanová.
The article mentions the conclusions of most evidential works investigating donepezil in the treatment of cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. It focuses on an analysis of a sub-group of 20 patients receiving treatment of the donepezil in an extended Czech double-blind placebo controlled study.
PURPOSE OF STUDY: The study focuses on evaluation of differences in serum levels of selected biological indicators in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and multiple myeloma (MM), primarily from the viewpoint of potential asset to clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODOLOGY: The analyse set of 96 patients consisted of 30 individuals with MGUS and 66 patients with MM examined in the context of the disease diagnosis before therapy commencement. Serum levels of the assessed parameters were examined with the help of radio-enzymatic method (thymidinkinase), radioimmunoanalysis (beta2-micro-globulin, ICTP, PINP), enzymoimmunoessay method (sIL-6R, sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, sOPG and sRANKL) and the technique of quantitative sandwich enzymatic immunoessay (sHGF, sVEGF, bFGF, syndecan-1/CD138 and sFas). Statistical examination was performed by Pearson and Fischer test, chi2-test, or nonparametric U-test pursuant to Mann-Whitney (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between MGUS and MM in the case of serum level comparisons of sIL-6R (p = 0.02), ICTP (p = 0.001), sHGF (p = 0.001) and syndecan-1/sCD138 (p = 0.001), while no statistically significant differences were present in the case of sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, PINP, sOPG, sVEGF and sFas. During the analysis of frequency of occurrence of abnormal values in the MM and MGUS groups, significant differences were found not only in the case of standard parameters, such as beta2-microglobulin, thymidinkinase, creatinin and albumin, but also in the case of sIL-6R, ICTP, sHGF and syndecan-1, but not in comparisons of the levels of sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, PINP, sOPG, sVEGF and sFas. Attempts at examination of serum levels of sRANKL and soluble form of bFGF failed as too low values were measured. CONCLUSION: The analysis of behaviour of the 10 parameters, mostly intimately related to biological properties of clonal plasmatic cells or to changes of microclimate of bone marrow, effectively contributed to distinction between MGUS and MM only in the case of serum levels of sIL-6R, ICTP, sHGF and syndecan-l (sCD138), i.e. indicators with demonstrable relevance for MM prognosis assessment.
BACKGROUND: Results of the diagnostics and indications of surgical treatment of patients with lung carcinoma (BCA) at the First clinic in years 2004 to 2005 were evaluated in a retrospective study. METHODS AND RESULTS: The cohort of 209 patients with the male to female ratio of 2 to 1 included 63 % of current smokers, 22 % of former smokers and 15 % of non-smokers. BCA was diagnosed in significantly earlier age in smokers in comparison to former smokers or non-smokers. Men had smoked in average 107 000 of cigarettes more than women. In the family history we found one or more malignancies in 49 % of patients. In the personal history COPD was found in 42 % of patients. Patients with COPD had more frequently epidermoid type of cancer. In patients diagnosed at earlier stages of BCA (I to IIIA) COPD was present more frequently as an intercurrent disease in comparison with patients in higher stages. 34 % of patients had a history of alcohol abuse, the median age of alcoholic patients was 65 years, the median age of other patients was 70 years. In histologically verified tumours, the highest occurrence had the epidermoid type (29% of patients) and adenocarcinoma (27 %). 39 patients (18.6 % from the cohort) were surgically treated; from 128 patients with NSCLC 33 were surgically treated (25 % of NSCLC cohort). Among the causes of surgical treatment impossibility, the most frequent ones were COPD in the third to four stage, age over 80 years, polymorbidity and ill-being. CONCLUSIONS: Results of our study indicate that BCA is frequently diagnosed in already developed stage, numbers of surgically treated patients represent less than 20% of the total patients' number.
BACKGROUND: Oesophageal cancer patients with substantial weight loss have worse prognosis. Weight loss is often refractory to the nutritional support. Causes of the weight loss are multiple: oesophageal stricture, frequent alcohol abuse, cancer related cachexia. It may be a consequence of metabolic changes mediated by cytokines, hormones and tumour derived products. Leptin, a protein produced by adipocytes, is an important signalling molecule in energy regulation, metabolism of fatty acids and it can also augment tumour growth of various cancer cell lines. Enhanced intake of poly-unsaturated fatty acids may play an important role in the reversal of cancer related weight loss. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study we examined the nutritional status (pre-treatment weight-loss, actual weight, body mass index), serum levels of leptin, soluble leptin receptor, TNF-alpha, IGF-1 and plasma phosphatidyl-cholin fatty acids before the beginning of treatment, after the onset of treatment and shortly before its completion. In the group of 38 pts (33 men, 5 women), mean age 58 years, statistically significant mean pre-treatment weight-loss 8 kg and significant mean weight loss 2 kg after chemoradiotherapy was observed. Concomitant chemoradiation led to transient elevation of serum leptin level despite the weight loss during chemoradiotherapy. Significant changes in the distribution of fatty acids in plasmatic phosphatidyl-cholin were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show the possibility for direct influence of chemoradiotherapy on body weight regulation in advanced oesophageal cancer patients.
The basic relationship between chemical structure and pharmacological activity of eight newly developed potential ultrashort-acting beta-adrenergic blockers was evaluated. The compounds studied are derivatives of arylcarbonyloxyaminopropanols and were prepared by four-step synthesis. All the compounds evaluated showed weak antiisoprenaline (beta-adrenergic receptor blocking) activity and antiarrhythmic (antiouabain) activity.
The authors demonstrate analgetic effect on a group of 32 patients operated for pancreatic cancer pain after videothoracoscopic splanchnikectomy. The authors define adequate criteria for selection of splanchnikectomy.
The efficacy of palliative radiotherapy of NSCLC was evaluated. 70 patients with histologically and cytologically confirmed advanced NSCLC were palliativelly irradiated in Department of Oncology I. Medical Faculty Charles University, Prague, in the period 1/93-12/94. 46 patients were evaluable for response (32 men, 14 women, median age 66.1, range 46-82). Median survival was 24.5 weeks. The most frequent intrathoracal symptoms were: cough 54%, chest pain 41%, dyspnoe 54%, hemoptysis 13%, VCS sy 7%. Palliation of the main symptoms has been achieved in 68% for cough, in 83% for hemoptysis, in 89% for chest pain, in 60% for dyspnoe and in 100% for VCS sy (in combination with chemotherapy). The median duration of palliation was 14.7 weeks for all the main symptoms, e.g. more than 50% of overall survival. Two fractionations schedules for the chest radiotherapy were used: 30 Gy/10 fr/2 wks (67%) or short regimens 8-20 Gy/1-2 fr/1-2 wks (33%). The results of palliation and survival are similar for both treatment schedules. Side effects has been infrequent, only 6 patients (13%) had dysphagia during the treatment. Radiation myelopathy has been not observed in any case. The therapeutical effect has been achieved in the more than 80% cases of pain, hemoptysis and VCS syndrome.
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This paper presents the results of a study on the antifungal activity of isothiocyanates-derivatives of biphenyl (group "A"), of stilbene ("B"), of azobenzene and benzeneazonaphthalene ("C"), of naphthalene ("D"), and of further polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons ("E"). From a total of 48 investigated compounds, antifungal activity was observed only in A and D group compounds. B, C, and E group derivatives are extremely insoluble in water, and the molecules are very large; as a result, they probably cannot pass into spores or mycelium of fungi. Thus, the -NCS group cannot manifest its reactivity.
Data are presented concerning the antifungal activity of 11 natural isothiocyanates and 27 synthetized analogues in Aspergillus niger, Penicillium cyclopium, and Rhizopus oryzae, as well as in 13 additional saprophytic and parasitic fungi. A remarkable antifungal activity was observed in some analogues of benzylisothiocyanate and beta-phenylethylisothiocyanate. The latter-mentioned compounds have not been described previously. In the group of benzylisothiocyanates, a correlation, which was inversely proportional, was detected between ed(100) values for A. niger and R. oryzae and the corresponding molar solubilities of compounds in water. In contradistinction, no relationship was observed between antifungal activity and chemical reactivity of investigated derivatives.
Antifungal activity on Aspergillus niger, Penicillium cyclopium, and Rhizopus oryzae, as well as on additional saprophytic and parasitic fungi, was determined in 57 substituted derivatives of phenylisothiocyanate. Most of the investigated compounds displayed rather equal activity against the three mentioned fungi, in contradistinction to the analogues of natural benzyl- and beta-phenylethylisothiocyanate with their characteristic low activity against R. oryzae. Differences occurred in the type of activity of compounds in which the -NCS group is directly bound on the aromatic moiety, as compared with those compounds in which this group is bound to the aliphatic radical or to the aromatic moiety indirectly by means of the methyl group or by a longer aliphatic chain. The results obtained confirm the negative influence of ionized substituents on the aromatic moiety, i.e., of -COOH, -CH(2)- COOH, and -SO(3)H groups, as well as of substituents which cause an extreme increase in reactivity of the -NCS group resulting in a high instability of the entire isothiocyanate molecule.