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Biomedical subjects

W Kozubski

Publications and source records attributed to W Kozubski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Treatment of alcoholic polyneuropathy with vitamin B complex: a randomised controlled trial.

AIMS: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of BEFACT Forte 'new formulation' and BEFACT Forte 'old formulation' in the treatment of sensory symptoms of alcoholic polyneuropathy. METHODS: A multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 325 patients with sensory symptoms and signs of alcoholic polyneuropathy. Patients were randomised to the 'old formulation' (i.e. vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12), 'new formulation' [i.e. identical to the 'old formulation' with additional folic acid (vitamin B9)], or placebo in a 1:1:1 ratio. One tablet of the study medication ('new formulation' or 'old formulation') or placebo was taken orally, three times a day, over a 12-week treatment period. RESULTS: Therapeutic efficacy was assessed in 253 patients by measuring vibration perception threshold (biothesiometry), intensity of pain, sensory function, co-ordination, and reflex responses. Patients treated with the 'new formulation' or 'old formulation' showed significant improvement in the primary efficacy endpoint (vibration perception threshold at the big toe) and secondary efficacy endpoints in comparison to placebo. The active treatment groups were comparable to placebo in terms of safety. CONCLUSIONS: A specific vitamin B complex (with and without folic acid) significantly improved symptoms of alcoholic polyneuropathy over a 12-week treatment period.

Alcoholic Neuropathy↗
PubMed2003

Quality of life in stroke patients.

OBJECTIVES: To describe global and domain-specific quality of life (QOL) after stroke and to identify the factors that are important for post-stroke QOL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A hospital-based sample of 72 stroke patients was followed up for 6 months after stroke onset. QOL was assessed using the Polish version of the Quality of Life Index. Regression analysis was performed to identify the variables that best predicted QOL. RESULTS: The overall QOL of stroke patients was relatively good, although worse than that of subjects in a comparison group. The highest QOL was found in the 'Family' domain, and the lowest in the 'Health and functioning' domain. Emotional support, depression and functional disability were three separate variables explaining 38% of the variance in QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening of family support, treatment of depression and reduction of physical dependence may be the decisive factors in improving post-stroke QOL.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Leukocytosis in the first day of acute ischemic stroke as a prognostic factor of disease progression].

It has been reported that white blood cells (WBC) may contribute to the initiation and further development of stroke. WBC count could have influence on hemorheology, thrombosis and induction of vasoconstriction in cerebral arteries. The aim of this work was to determine whether WBC count assessed in patients with acute stroke in the first day of the disease have a predictive value for the late clinical outcomes. Peripheral WBC count was measured at the admission to the hospital in 100 consecutive patients with acute stroke. Ischemic stroke was confirmed in all patients by head CT. Neurological status was evaluated with the use of modified Rankin's Scale. We assessed the following clinical outcomes: in-hospital mortality, the lack of neurological improvement on the 21st day of disease, and the need for hospital stay longer than 21 days. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) adjusted for patient's age, gender, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and previous stroke was calculated with the use of logistic regression. OR was evaluated both for the presence of WBC count > 10.000 cells/microliter and for each 1000 leukocytes/microliter increase. WBC count greater than 10.000 cells/microliter was associated with a more than seventy-fold greater risk for death (OR--75.18; 95% CI: 8.89-635.84; p = 0.0001), nearly eight times increased risk for the no-improvement status (OR--7.78; 95% CI: 2.51-24.17; p = 0.0004) and approximately four times increased risk for the prolonged hospital stay (OR--4.20; 95% CI: 1.50-11.72; p = 0.0062). Each 1000 cell/microliter increase in WBC count at the admission was associated with increased risk for in-hospital mortality (OR--2.24; 95% CI: 1.39-3.57; p = 0.0008), no neurological improvement (OR--1.43; 95% CI: 1.15-1.76; p = 0.0009) and the need for prolonged hospitalization (OR--1.26; 95% CI: 1.07-1.49; p = 0.0066). Increased WBC count within the first 12 hours of stroke is an independent and strong risk factor for mortality, no neurological improvement, and the need for prolonged hospitalization in the course of acute ischemic stroke.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Immunofluorescent analysis of antibodies against neurons in the case of paraneoplastic syndrome.

The authors report clinical and neuropathological findings especially immunofluorescent detection of antineuronal antibodies in the case of paraneoplastic syndrome in course of the small-cell lung carcinoma. The clinical symptoms, observed in 48-year-old woman, covered bilateral pyramidal syndrome, cerebellar syndrome, myasthenic syndrome and impairment of the cranial nerves. Neuropathological investigation revealed paraneoplastic encephalopathy in the form of encephalitis. Immunofluorescent analysis showed brightly fluorescent neurons standing out against a dull background.

Antibodies, Neoplasm↗
PubMed1998

Atypical case of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in a young adult.

The great concern exists that new variant of CJD (nvCJD) developed as a result of exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected meat products. Therefore, all cases of CJD in the young, as the one of ours are the matter of interest. The 21-year-old female developed a rapid progression of pyramidal, extrapyramidal and cerebellar signs, visual loss and psychiatric symptoms, leading to death in 16 weeks. The microscopic features were: a neuronal loss accentuated in cerebral cortex with extensive astroglia proliferation and spongiform changes. Immunohistochemical staining, revealed the presence of "synaptic" deposits of PrP in the cerebral cortex and in the cerebellum. No florid amyloid plaques were present. The case was diagnosed as a sporadic CJD, with some features of Heidenhein variant (visual symptoms) and corticostriatocerebellar category. The pathological findings excluded a nv CJD which is linked with BSE.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Porównanie skuteczności piracetamu i dekstranu 40 tys. u chorych w podeszlym wieku z niedokrwiennym udarem mózgu.

Piracetam is believed to restore the metabolism of glucose and 02, and also to prevent the vasospasm of small arteries in the penumbra of ischaemic focus. Taking the above into account we tried to estimate its effect in elderly patients with stroke. The studied group consisted of 47 patients, aged 60-78 years (mean 67,4 yrs), with the first ischaemic episode. 23 patients were treated with 500 ml of Dextran 40 daily and 60 ml of placebo given separately. The rest of the patients was treated with the same dose of Dextran 40 and 12 g of Piracetam as 60 ml i.v. bolus. The neurological status of the patients was estimated using Scandinavian Neurological Stroke Scale (SNSS). In the patients treated with Dextran and placebo there were no changes in the total score of SNSS, both after 10 and 28 days, comparing with the initial status. In the patients treated with Dextran and Piracetam total SNSS score improved significantly after 10 days (p < 0.05) and the effect was increased after 28 days (p < 0.02). The effect of the treatment with Piracetam was especially accentuated in the patients with aphasia (n = 13), whose status showed the most powerful improvement both after 10 (p < 0.03) and 28 days (p < 0.02). The author believes that Piracetam instituted within the first hours after stroke might improve the neurological status of the patients, especially those with aphasia.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

[Studies of heart rhythm variability in migraine. Preliminary communication].

Spectral analysis of hart rhythm variability makes possible assessment of the state (power) of autonomic innervation of the heart. The reported study was carried out in 40 patients (22 women) with migraine. The studies were done in times between migraine attacks. The control group comprised 62 clinically healthy subjects. In most patients (over 61%) the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the heart was weaker than in healthy subjects and the index of automatic equilibrium in the sinus node was lower than in controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Expression of fibrinogen receptors in platelets of migraine patients--correlation with platelet GPIIb content and plasma cholesterol.

Binding of fibrinogen to platelets washed from blood of migraine patients (n = 30) and control donors (n = 24) was compared. In addition, contents of platelet glycoprotein IIb and platelet fibrinogen were determined in both groups by radioimmunoassay. The receptor capacity for fibrinogen in platelets activated by ADP was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in migraine patients (52,505 +/- 4,925) than in controls (33,881 +/- 3,965). The mean contents of GPIIb (3.51 +/- 0.34 micrograms/10(8) platelets) and fibrinogen (37.26 +/- 4.05 micrograms/10(8) platelets) in migraine platelets were also markedly increased (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively) when compared to controls (2.21 +/- 0.18 micrograms of GPIIb and 18.75 +/- 2.29 micrograms of fibrinogen per 10(8) platelets, respectively). There was a high correlation between the number of fibrinogen receptors exposed by ADP and the total amount of platelet GPIIb both in migraine patients (R = 0.69, p less than 0.01) and controls (R = 0.62 p less than 0.01), as well as plasma cholesterol in the case of migraine patients (R = 0.82, p less than 0.001).

Adult↗