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Z Hrncír

Publications and source records attributed to Z Hrncír.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Synchronization as adjustment of information rates: detection from bivariate time series.

An information-theoretic approach for studying synchronization phenomena in experimental bivariate time series is presented. "Coarse-grained" information rates are introduced and their ability to indicate generalized synchronization as well as to establish a "direction of information flow" between coupled systems, i.e., to discern the driving from the driven (response) system, is demonstrated using numerically generated time series from unidirectionally coupled chaotic systems. The method introduced is then applied in a case study of electroencephalogram recordings of an epileptic patient. Synchronization events leading to seizures have been found on two levels of organization of brain tissues and "directions of information flow" among brain areas have been identified. This allows localization of the primary epileptogenic areas, also confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and pasitron emission tomography scans.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

[Retinopathy in dermatomyositis].

The authors describe a patient with acute onset dermatomyositis, "probable", according to criteria of Bohan and Peter, as well as the development of the disease in the course of 21 months. A special feature was the decline of visual acuity (practically to the level of blindness). The cause was severe retinopathy with dominance of macular oedema, "cotton wool" spots and haemorrhages, as apparent from photographs of the fundus and findings obtained by fluorescein angiography. The problem of initial treatment was resistance to megadoses of glucocorticoid (i.v. pulses). A favourable change occurred only after i.v. administration of polyvalent immunoglobulin in a total dose of 600 mg/kg body weight. Then the authors observed the unique phenomenon of regression of retinal oedema incl. the macula, of the haemorrhages and "cotton wool" spots. Consistent with it vision off the right eye improved to 1.0 and the left eye to 0.66 in the course of 11 months. Stabilized retinal neovascularizations persist. On account of the latter the authors treated the retina by laser panretinocoagulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Pulse therapy in diffuse connective tissue diseases].

Methods of i.v. pulsed treatment using methyl prednisolone, cyclophosphamide or polyvalent immunoglobulin made it possible to suppress rapidly and effectively the activity of prognostically serious (clinical and laboratory) manifestations in diffuse connective tissue diseases (systemic autoimmune diseases). The author presents a general justification of this therapeutic method with emphasis on the immunogenetics of pathological autoimmunity (autogenes, apoptosis), he describes methodical aspects, the asset and partial clinical indications in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, and primary systemic vasculitis. The author mentions also prerequisites of further development of i.v. pulsed treatment in diffuse connective tissue diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[The importance of administration of a series of methylprednisolone minipulses in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis].

BACKGROUND: Rapid, safe and persisting suppression of rheumatoid arthritis activity (RA) reduces the risk of destructive changes of the joints. Initial methylprednisolone (MP) treatment helps to implement task, optimal dosage is, however, a yet unresolved problem. METHODS AND RESULTS: In an open clinical trial 20 women with active RA were treated by a series of five minipulses á 125 mg MP in daily intravenous infusions. Within 60 days from the first MP minipulse onwards the authors monitored the morning stiffness, pain according to a visual analogue scale, Ritchie's index and five laboratory indicators. A significant decline of values (p < 0.05 < 0.001) in all clinical and some laboratory signs revealed that the response to the administered treatment was prompt and sufficiently protracted to bridge the gap before the onset of the effect produced by parallel basal treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide evidence that treatment by a series of minipulses of MP can be considered the method of choice to suppress the acme of RA activity and to bridge the gap before the onset of response to basal treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[The importance of the HLA complex antigens in systemic rheumatoid diseases].

The submitted paper reviews contemporary knowledge on the clinical impact of assessment of HLA-complex antigens in systemic rheumatic diseases. The authors explain the term "relative risk" and its practical importance. As to antigens of the HLA-complex class I, attention was paid in particular to the importance of HLA B 27 in ankylosing spondylitis, other spondylarthropathies and reactive arthritis; in this part the review is supplemented by results of the authors' own research. As to antigens of the HLA-complex class II, attention was paid to the sub-area DR in rheumatoid arthritis and other diffuse affections of connective tissue. The advance in knowledge of the clinical impact of investigations of selected HLA-complex antigens in systemic rheumatic diseases is that in many instances it reveals an association not only at the level of the nosological unit but frequently also sub-unit with prognostically important clinical and biochemical manifestations, a typical autoantibody profile and sometimes also with the risk of a greater organ toxicity of drugs.

HLA Antigens↗
PubMed1993

[Behçet's disease and IgG lambda paraproteinemia].

The authors describe the clinical observation and therapeutic experience of the seven-year follow-up of a female patient with Behcet's disease according to the diagnostic classification criteria of the International Study Group (1990). The remarkable feature of the described observation is evidence of the herpes simplex virus type I in the oral cavity and in particular the five-year follow-up of stabilized paraproteinaemia IgG lambda of obscure impact.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Favorable effect of methylprednisolone pulse therapy in dysphagia and primary idiopathic polymyositis/dermatomyositis].

In five previously not treated patients with active primary idiopathic polymyositis/dermatomyositis and severe dysphagia persisting for 3-8 weeks treatment with a series of 4-5 intravenous pulses a 1 g methylprednisolone was provided. In four patients dysphagia disappeared within 2-14 days, in one patient within 30 days marked improvement was recorded. During the 12-64-month follow up period in none of the patients relapse or deterioration of dysphagia was observed. One female patient died 12 months after establishment of the diagnosis during reactivation of the basic disease with marked fibrosis of the pulmonary interstitium, the remaining patients are in permanent remission.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Systemic lupus erythematosus after thymectomy in myasthenia gravis].

The authors describe a case of systemic lupus erythematosus in a 33-year-old female patient who developed the disease 12 years after thymectomy on account of myasthenia gravis. The activity of systemic lupus erythematosus was controlled by pulsed treatment with methyl prednisolone followed by long-term oral glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive therapy. The authors discuss the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus after thymectomy on account of myasthenia gravis with regard to the HLA haplotype.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Thymoma in the anterior mediastinum and systemic lupus erythematosus].

The authors describe an observation of a thymoma and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a 48-year-old woman with an analysis of clinical and laboratory indicators justifying this diagnosis. Improvement of SLE and the lupus nephropathy was achieved by three pulses of methyl prednisolone à 1000 mg in an intravenous infusion with subsequent Prednisone therapy, using conventional doses. After thymectomy on account of a benign thymoma activation of SLE did not occur. The objective of the presented paper is to draw attention to the infrequent possible concurrent incidence of thymoma and SLE and the influence of thymectomy and the subsequent development of SLE.

Female↗
PubMed1991

[Rheumatoid arthritis developing into systemic lupus erythematosus during long-term treatment with penicillamine and sulfasalazine].

A female patient with IgM RF seropositive rheumatoid arthritis according to criteria of the American Rheumatism Association was treated for 133 months with Penicillamine and for 17 months also with Sulfasalazine. Both types of treatment were discontinued because the patient developed symptoms meeting diagnostic criteria of systemic lupus erythematosus, as defined by the same society. Early recognition of this diagnosis was made possible by regular follow up of clinical and laboratory data (ANA, anti DNP, anti dsDNA, C3, C4 and others). Marked improvement, incl. improvement of the nephropathy, was recorded after pulsed treatment with methylprednisolone.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Long-term study of diffuse connective tissue disease after methylprednisolone pulsed therapy].

Pulsed i.v. treatment with methylprednisolone (MP) infusions à 1 g 3-5 times on alternate days was administered in 22 diffuse connective tissue diseases: 13X systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 1X Sharp's syndrome and 8X polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). In all instances active disease was involved with serious organ manifestations; 17 patients had no aimed treatment so far, in 5 previous treatment had failed. A total of 101 pulsed MP was administered. Initial MP treatment was always successful. The patients were then followed up during oral maintenance treatment for 3-60 months (mean 27 months) in a stage of persistent, inconstant or partial remission. In six patients treatment was repeated 8X after reactivation. The response was always favourable and did not differ from that to initial MP treatment, except for one female patient who died from progression of PM/DM (one female patient died from the sequels of oncological disease associated with SLE).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Index of light kappa/lambda and lambda/kappa chains in monoclonal gammopathies.

Concentrations of the light chains kappa and lambda were determined by simple radial immunodiffusion in the blood sera of 437 patients with monoclonal gammopathies. The kappa/lambda index was calculated in monoclonal gammopathies with the antigenic type of kappa light chains, while in monoclonal gammopathies with the antigenic type of lambda light chains the lambda/kappa index was calculated. The results obtained in malignant monoclonal gammopathies were compared with the results obtained in monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance for IgG and IgM paraproteinemias. Differences of high statistical significance were established (for IgG and IgA p less than 0.001, for IgM p less than 0.005) and thus the light-chain index can be used as another marker in differential diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathies.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Anticardiolipin antibodies in diffuse connective tissue diseases with IgG, IgM and IgA isotypes].

Anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies were assessed in isotypes IgG, IgM and IgA by the enzyme immunochemical technique in serum of 86 subjects with diffuse connective tissue affections and in 75 subjects of three control groups (syphilis, syndrome of common variable immunodeficiency and blood donors). In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and syphilis the mean values of the three isotypes of aCL antibodies were significantly higher than in blood donors (p = 0.05 to 0.001); in diffuse scleroderma and primary polymyositis/dermatomyositis in isotype IgG (p = 0.01-0.001). Positive findings of aCL antibodies (isolated or in combinations of Ig isotypes (were found most frequently in SLE (34.4%), RA (33.3%) and syphilis (66.6%); sera of blood donors were positive in 8.7%. Venous thrombosis was recorded in the case-records of 28% patients with SLE but only in 5.4% of those with RA. Spontaneous abortion terminated 8/66 pregnancies in 28 women with SLE. In one female patient with SLE the aCL syndrome was detected. On account of frequent positivity of aCL antibodies in syphilis, the authors consider it essential to rule out the coincidence of this disease. Examination of aCL-IgA antibodies extends the detection of positive cases (isolated or in combinations of Ig) in SLE and RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

IgG1-4 subclasses in paraproteinemias.

The concentration of IgG1-4 subclasses was determined in a series of 10 IgG1 paraproteinemias (5 multiple myelomas and 5 non-myeloma paraproteinemias) and in a series of 11 IgA paraproteinemias (7 multiple myelomas and 4 non-myeloma paraproteinemias). In the group of IgG1 myelomas, deficiency was established in the subclasses IgG2-4, in the group of IgA myelomas, deficiency was proved in all IgG1-4 subclasses as compared with non-myeloma paraproteinemias. Decreased IgG heterogeneity in IgG1 myelomas was demonstrated by the method of isoelectric focusing.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Immunologic examination of the blood in the differential diagnosis of acute gouty arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis].

In 16 patients with acute gouty arthritis, 30 IgM RF seropositive cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 20 IgM RF seronegative cases of RA the values of 14 indicators of antibody and natural immunity were assessed in serum. The assembled data were evaluated by step-wise discrimination analysis. This made it possible to select consecutively signs important for the differentiation of acute gouty arthritis from IgM RF seropositive RA (immunocomplexes, beta-2 microglobulin, C3) and for its differentiation from IgM RF seronegative RA (IgE, C3, transferrin, free SH groups). Thus obtained classification functions make it possible to classify correctly, random subjects with a probability of 76.7-93.7%.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

[Immunologic examination of the synovial fluid in the differential diagnosis of knee joint inflammations. Computer analysis of 275 patients].

In the synovial fluid of the knee joint 15 immunological indicators were assessed in 275 patients divided into three groups according to the following diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis, gonarthritis and synovitis after a blunt injury. The assembled data were evaluated by a stepwise discrimination analysis. This made it possible to select eventually in the compared groups eight characteristics with a differentiating value: IgE, immunocomplexes, beta-2 microglobulin, C3, CRP, alpha-2 macroglobulin, LF-test--reciprocal titre, LF-test--square of reciprocal titre. The classification functions of these characteristics make the correct classification of a random patient with a probability of 78.8-92% possible.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Differential diagnosis of acute myocardial infarct in hypothyroidism].

The authors demonstrate the case of a female patient with hypothyroid myopathy where they recorded repeatedly a rise of enzymes used for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, whereby myocardial infarction was not revealed. The authors followed up the disease for two years. They evaluated the relationship between the state of substitution and the activity of the mentioned enzymes and myoglobin.

Aged↗