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S Kirov

Publications and source records attributed to S Kirov.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Gene expression profiling in the hippocampus of learned helpless and nonhelpless rats.

In the learned helplessness (LH) animal model of depression, failure to attempt escape from avoidable environmental stress, LH, indicates behavioral despair, whereas nonhelpless (NH) behavior reflects behavioral resilience to the effects of environmental stress. Comparing hippocampal gene expression with large-scale oligonucleotide microarrays, we found that stress-resilient (NH) rats, although behaviorally indistinguishable from controls, showed a distinct gene expression profile compared to LH, sham stressed, and naïve control animals. Genes that were confirmed as differentially expressed in the NH group by quantitative PCR strongly correlated in their levels of expression across all four animal groups. Differential expression could not be confirmed at the protein level. We identified several shared degenerate sequence motifs in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of differentially expressed genes that could be a factor in this tight correlation of expression levels among differentially expressed genes.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗

PCR studies on the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis in the upper urinary tract of patients with obstructive pyelonephritis.

Chlamydia trachomatis infections are among the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world and it is only logical to hypothesize that it alone or in association with mycoplasmas can participate in the initiation and persistence of upper urinary tract infections. Having in mind the inconclusive evidence regarding the role of C. trachomatis in upper urinary tract infections we decided to study the presence of C. trachomatis in the upper urinary tract of patients with obstructive pyelonephritis using the polymerase chain reaction. We studied 20 patients (12 female and 8 male, aged 20-60 years) with symptoms and signs of acute pyelonephritis in accordance with Kunin's criteria (1997). Samples were taken during surgery of the upper urinary tract by aspirating urine from the renal pelvis or the ureter above the level of the obstruction and analyzed for the presence of bacterial pathogens using routine microbiological techniques and employing the "AMPLICOR CT/NG" test (Roche Diagnostic Systems, Branchburg, NJ, USA) for the presence of C. trachomatis. Chlamydia trachomatis was found in the aspirated urine of 5 patients (25%). In 3 of the patients the microbiological tests of the aspirated urine did not establish any other microbial agent. In the other two Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis were cultured. The analysis of the clinical and laboratory findings in the patients with Chlamydia trachomatis infection alone and those with an associated bacterial pathogen failed to reach statistical significance. Following the operation all of the patients received treatment with Ofloxacin 200 mg bid for 7 days with a favorable clinical and laboratory outcome. In our opinion, the AMPLICOR CT/NG test is a sensitive and specific method for diagnosing low-number Chlamydia trachomatis infections of the upper urinary tract in patients with obstructive pyelonephritis. Chlamydia trachomatis should be considered as a possible etiologic agent in acute pyelonephritis and the therapeutic regimen in such patients should be targeted at its possible underlying presence.

Adult↗

[One-step breast reconstruction].

The mental trauma induced by removal of the mammary gland for cancer may be overcome by reconstruction of the breast. One-step reconstruction applied on 4 patients showed considerable advantages over a postponed reconstruction: technically it is easier to perform; a single stay of the patient in hospital makes it cheaper. It is no obstacle to perform pre- and postoperative radio- and chemotherapy. According to available data in the literature, implanted prosthesis or transposed flap do not veil a local relapse.

Adult↗

The results of clinical trial within the framework of CMEA on surgical methods of mammary gland carcinoma treatment.

The results of joint clinical investigation performed by 8 oncological centers within the framework of CMEA countries are reported. Out of 816 patients with mammary gland carcinoma (MGC) of lateral localization, stage T1-2N0-1aM0, classical radical mastectomy by Halsted was carried out in 230 patients, mastectomy by Patey in 318 patients and conservative operation of radical resection type--in 218 patients. Specific characteristics of the disease progression were studied considering the time of development and incidence rates of local relapse or distant metastases depending on the type of surgery and MGC stage. High rates of 5-year survival were found for all types of surgery, mastectomy by Patey proving somewhat superior.

Adult↗

Delayed regional lymph node dissection in stage I melanoma of the skin of the lower extremities.

Results of a prospective randomized clinical trial conducted by the WHO Collaborating Centers for the Evaluation of Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma are reported. Five-hundred-fifty-three Stage I patients whose limbs were affected entered the study; 267 were submitted to wide excision and immediate node dissection and 286 had wide excision and node dissection at the time clinically positive nodes were detected. Survival curves of the two treatment groups could be superimposed. No subsets of patients benefitted from immediate node dissection. The authors conclude that delayed node dissection is as effective as the immediate dissection in Stage I melanoma of the extremities if the patient can be checked every three months. If the quarterly follow-up is not guaranteed, immediate node dissection is advisable, at least for melanomas thicker than 2 mm.

Adolescent↗

Stage I melanoma of the limbs. Immediate versus delayed node dissection.

553 patients with stage I malignant melanoma of the limbs entered a prospective randomized clinical trial carried out by the W.H.O. Collaborating Centres for Evaluation of Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma from September 1967 to January 1974. 286 patients were submitted to wide excision of primary and node dissection at the time as appearance of regional lymph node metastases and 267 to wide excision and immediate node dissection. Survival was identical in the 2 groups. Different subsets of patients were evaluated to assess whether some groups of patients may benefit from immediate node dissection. As regards sex, females and a significantly higher survival rate than males (p < 0.05), but results were not improved by immediate node dissection. Maximum diameter and elevation of primary melanoma were significantly related to survival but also in these cases immediate node dissection did not achieve better results. 63 patients had an excisional biopsy of their melanoma within 4 weeks before final treatment. This procedure did not worsen survival and also in this case immediate node dissection did not improve survival. 273 cases were classified according to histologic type: survival of superficial spreading and nodular melanoma was not different at a statistically significant level after the 2 treatment modalities. 325 cases were considered classifiable according to Clark's levels, out of these 165 were submitted to immediate node dissection. Neither level III nor level IV cases showed higher survival rate after immediate node dissection. Maximum tumor thickness according to Breslow was evaluated in 338 cases: 188 were submitted to wide excision and immediate node dissection. In no clusters of thickness did the enlarged surgical procedure achieve better results. The authors conclude that there is good evidence that in stage I melanoma of the extremities delayed dissection.

Adolescent↗

Inefficacy of immediate node dissection in stage 1 melanoma of the limbs.

From September, 1967, to January, 1974, a clinical trial was carried out by the WHO Melanoma Group to evaluate the efficacy of elective lymph-node dissection in the treatment of malignant melanoma of the extremities with clinically uninvolved regional lymph nodes. Treatment was prospectively randomized: 267 patients to excision of primary melanoma and immediate regional-lymph-node dissection and 286 to excision of primary melanoma and regional-lymph-node dissection at the time of appearance of metastases. The statistical analysis showed no difference in survival between the two groups of patients, regardless of how the data were analyzed (according to sex, site of origin, maximum diameter of primary tumor or Clark's level or Breslow's thickness). Elective lymph-node dissection in malignant malanoma of the limbs does not improve the prognosis and is not recommended when patients can be followed at intervals of three months.

Aged↗