A case of defibrillator-associated infective endocarditis due to Campylobacter fetus.

Campylobacter spp. are Gram-negative, spiral motile bacteria. Infections caused by Campylobacter fetus are frequently of invasive character, but they are very rare. The described case of infection of a cardioverter defibrillator implantation site was effectively cured with antibiotics, but it required removal of the cardioverter defibrillator.

On the risk of aortic valve replacement surgery assessed by heart rate variability parameters.

In recent years the number of arterial stenosis (AS) patients has grown rapidly and valvular disease is expected to be the next great epidemic. We studied a group of 385 arterial valve replacement (AVR) surgery patients, of whom 16 had died in the postoperational period (up to 30 d after the operation). Each patient had a heart rate variability (HRV) recording made prior to the operation in addition to a full set of medical diagnostics including echocardiography. We formed 16 age, sex, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, and BMI adjusted control pairs for each person who died in the perioperative period. Our aim was to find indications of the risk from AVR surgery based on the medical data and HRV properties. Besides standard, linear HRV methods, we used indexes of time irreversibility introduced by Guzik (G%), Porta (P%), Ehlers (index E) and Hou (index D). In addition, we analyzed the multiscale multifractal properties of HRV calculating the Hurst surface. The nonlinear analysis methods show statistically significant indications of the risk of AVR surgery in an increase of multifractality and an increase of time irreversibility of the HRV measured prior to the operation.

Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli species in cats and dogs from Bydgoszcz (Poland) region.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of cats and dogs as a potential reservoir of Campylobacter spp. Rectal swabs from 83 dogs and 71 cats were examined. Samples were obtained from the animals aged between 2 weeks and 24 months living in shelters, private households, farms and from veterinary clinics located in Bydgoszcz region during routine check-up. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 4.81% dogs and 9.86% cats, respectively. C. jejuni was predominant in this study. All strains were isolated in autumn and winter from the animals living in farms and private houses. All the animals positive for Campylobacter prevalence had access to small water basins, accidental source of food and had contact with wild birds, poultry or their feaces. Isolates characterization revealed high prevalence of Campylobacter virulence genes-flaA, cadF and cdtB. 91% of isolated strains were susceptible to erythromycin. 81% among isolated strains were susceptible to azithromycin, 64% to tetracycline and 36% to ciprofloxacin. For 2 C. jejuni strains isolated from cats Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiling indicated 80% homology between them.

Occurrence of virulence genes among Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from domestic animals and children.

The presence of the flaA, cadF, cdtB and iam genes of Campylobacter spp. was determined with the PCR method. The materials to investigate were 56 C. jejuni and 23 C. coli strains isolated from clinical samples (children and domestic animals). It was found that all of the Campylobacter spp. isolates from children with diarrhoea and domestic animals had cadF gene, responsible for adherence. The flaA gene was present in all Campylobacter spp. isolates derived from children and cats. Occurrence of flaA gene was confirmed in 100% of C. jejuni strains obtained from dogs. The high prevalence of the cdtB gene associated with toxin production was observed in this study (100%-Campylobacter spp. isolates obtained from dogs and cats, 97.9%-Campylobacter spp. isolates from children). The isolates showed a wide variation for the presence of iam gene. The lowest prevalence (23.5%) was detected in Campylobacter spp. obtained from dogs. The highest rates of iam detection (91.6%) were revealed in C. coli isolates from children.

L-nucleosides containing modified nucleobases.

The synthesis of base modified L-nucleosides is described with pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines, pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines, benzimidazoles, and imidazo[1,2-a]-s-triazines as nucleobases. The conformation of the nucleosides is studied and the antiviral activity is evaluated.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of 2-substituted halogenobenzimidazoles.

A series of substituted 2-polyfluoroalkyl and 2-nitrobenzylsulphanyl benzimidazoles was synthesized. The compounds were evaluated for their activity against four Mycobacterium strains; the activities were expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The substances tested showed appreciable antimycobacterial activity, particularly 5,6-dichloro-2-nonafluorobutylbenzimidazole (2h), and 5-halogeno- (5a-c) and 4,6-dihalogeno- (5d and 5g) 2-(3,5-dinitrobenzylsulphanyl)benzimidazoles, whose MIC values for Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium avium exceeded that of isoniazide that was used as a reference compound. Relationships between structure and biological activity of the tested benzimidazole derivatives are discussed.

The impact of experience of a transplantation center on the outcomes of orthotopic liver transplantation.

The so-called learning factor has been disregarded for many years in analyzing the causes of surgical complications and post-operative mortality; it is also the case for OLT. In our center until April 2003, 209 OLT were performed in 196 patients. We evaluated the impact of experience of the transplantation team on the outcomes of liver transplantation. Thirty-four patients died (mortality rate, 16%) and 1-year survival rate, 64%. Mortality rates varied during different periods of observation due to increasing experience of the transplantation team. The causes of mortality were assessed for a series of 34 patients: it was 75% at the beginning of transplantation procedures while recent deaths have not recently exceeded 10% of cases.

Vascular complications after liver transplantation.

Vascular complications following liver transplantation is reviewed based upon literature data and our own results. Our study conclusions are mostly based on literature data, because our center does not have the liver transplantation experience of other centers worldwide. Thus, we may conclude, that the number and character of complications does not differ from those reported by other centers. The enbloc technique used in liver harvesting minimizes the risk of arterial damage in case of vascular anomalies. Recipient retransplantation is the most effective treatment method in cases of hepatic arterial occlusion. Doppler ultrasound examinations are effective to monitor vascular blood flow in the transplanted liver.

Alkaline hydrolysis of cladribine.

The kinetics of hydrolysis of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (cladribine) was studied at various sodium hydroxide concentrations and temperatures. HPLC analysis of reaction mixtures showed that the main products were 2'-deoxyisoguanosine and 2'-deoxyguanosine. The first one was the result of the hydroxyl anion attack, whereas the presence of the other nucleoside has evidenced the existence of hitherto undescribed rearrangement reaction in purine derivatives.

[Poisonings by selected drugs: analysis of 1995-1999 data files of the Clinic of Acute Poisonings Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lódz]. / Zatrucia wybranymi narkotykami w latach 1995-1999 w materiale Kliniki Ostrych Zatruc Instytutu Medycyny Pracy w Lodzi.

Over the period of 1995-1999 a total number of 439 cases were admitted to the Clinic of Acute Poisonings, Lódz, Poland, due to poisoning with opiates, opioids, amphetamine, cannabis products, LSD and cocaine. Most of the patients were males, the male to female ratio was 1:1.5 (266 to 173). The distribution by age indicated the persons aged 21-30 yr as the highest risk group, then those aged 14-21 yr. Over the period under study the structure of poisonings changed significantly. Since 1997 the number of poisonings with amphetamine and cannabis products increased dramatically, while that of opiate poisonings declined. Approximately 84% of cases were found to be addicted to a combination of drugs and psychotropic agents, mostly benzodiazepine and ethyl alcohol. Drug addiction was reported by over 80% patients with opiate poisoning, 44.8% with tetrahydrocannabinole poisoning and only 9.5% with amphetamine poisoning. The efficacy of treatment in cases of drug addiction is very low. Repeated treatment was reported by almost 100% of patients who had attempted to quit drug abuse. Among opiate poisoning cases, only 8 out of 45 patients did not question the effectiveness of the withdrawal treatment.

Imaging techniques in patients with biliary obstruction.

The most frequent causes of cholestasis include choledocholithiasis and neoplasms (pancreatic head carcinoma, ampullary carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma). The authors discussed imaging modalities currently applied in the diagnostics of patients with suspected obstruction biliary tract obstruction. Special attention was paid to the efficacy of these techniques in detecting the obstruction and determining its level and nature. In general, US or CT are first performed in patients with cholestasis. The use of percutaneous cholangiography and retrograde cholangiopancreatography is often limited to therapeutic interventions. Magnetic resonance offers images similar to both conventional cholangiography and computed tomography. This technique offers complex evaluation of bile ducts and other abdominal organs.

Strain and sex dependent sensitivity to skin anaphylactic reactions in the mouse.

The strain-dependent variation in sensitivity of mouse skin to passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) was observed. The results showed that this variation is not connected either with mast cell number and histamine content in the skin of different mouse strains or with the concentration of non-specific IgE on skin mast cells of these strains. Thus, other factors determining the susceptibility of mouse strains to PCA must exist.