[Relation between Bcl-2 protein expression and results of therapy in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia]. / Vzt'ah medzi expresiou Bcl-2 proteínu a výsledkami liecby u chorých s akútnou myeloblastovou leukémiou.

Flow cytometric expression of Bcl-2 protein was analyzed in 67 newly diagnosed acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) patients using an anti-Bcl-2 monoclonal antibody by direct immunofluorescence technique and result were correlated with FAB subtype, CD34 expression and clinical outcome. The number of Bcl-2+ cells in each sample was heterogenous (range, 19% to 96%), with mean of 81%. The percentage of Bcl-2+ cells was higher in M0 and M1 types according French-American-British classification. The mean fluorescence index (MFI), expressed as the ratio of sample channel: control mean channel was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in M0 (19.0) and M1 (17.6) than M4 (11.7) and M5 (8.9) cytotypes. In addition, Bcl-2 MFI significantly correlated both with CD34 positivity and with CD34 MFI. High percentage expression of Bcl-2 and MFI index of Bcl 2 was associated with a low complete remission rate after intensive chemotherapy (40.4% in cases with 20% and more positive cells vs 72% in cases with less than 20% positive cells). By statistical analysis we also demonstrated that both Bcl-2 high MFI (> 16) and CD34 expression are independent prognostic factors for achieving CR in AML.

High expression of Bcl-2 protein in acute myeloid leukemia cells is associated with poor response to chemotherapy.

Flow cytometric expression of bcl-2 protein was analyzed in 67 newly diagnosed acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) patients using an anti-bcl-2 monoclonal antibody by direct immunofluorescence technique and results were correlated with FAB subtype, CD34 expression and clinical outcome. The number of bcl-2+ cells in each sample was heterogenous (range, 19% to 96%), with a mean of 81%. The percentage of bcl-2+ cells was higher in M0 and M1 types according to French-American-British classification. The mean fluorescence index (MFI), expressed as the ratio of sample channel:control mean channel was significantly higher (p=0.01) in M0 (19.0) and M1 (17.6) than M4 (11.7) and M5 (8.9) cytotypes. In addition, bcl-2 MFI significantly correlated both with CD34 positivity and with CD34 MFI. High percentage expression of bcl-2 and MFI index of bcl-2 was associated with a low complete remission rate after intensive chemotherapy (40.4% in cases with 20% and more positive cells vs 72% in cases with less than 20% positive cells). By statistical analysis we also demonstrated that both bcl-2 high MFI (>16) and CD34 expression are independent prognostic factors for achieving CR in AML.

[Characteristics of the cytokine response in patients with various forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis]. / Charakteristika cytokínovej odpovede u pacientov s rôznymi formami juvenilnej idiopatickej artritídy.

BACKGROUND: Impairment of the dynamic balance between the first and second type of cytokine response with the prevalence of cytokines of the first type plays and important role in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases, including the juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The aim of our work was to analyse cytokine profile in lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with JIA, and to evaluate the mutual ration between T lymphocytes producing cytokines of the first and second type in different forms of the disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied a group of 42 children aged 6 to 16 years, 32 of them were patients with JIA, 10 children with non-autoimmune diseases represented the control group. Expression of intracellular cytokines INF-gamma and IL-4 were assayed in activated T lymphocytes using recommended protocol (FastImmune Cytokine system, BD). For the sample analysis, flow cytometer FACScan (BD) was used. No differences in incidence of CD3+INF-gamma + Ly was found between patients with oligoarticular and polyarticular form of JIA (19.3 +/- 8.65 vs. 19.2 +/- 9.7%), and values were equal to that of the control group (19.5 +/- 5.85%). Similarly, no difference was found in incidence of CD3+INF4+ Ly between the JIA patients and controls (2.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.45%). Patients with polyarticular form of disease had statistically lower incidence of CD3+INF4+ Ly than it was among the control group (1.8 +/- 0.9 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.45%, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the studied group of 32 patients with different forms of JIA, lower activity of cytokine response of the type 2 was found in children with polyarticular form of the disease.

P-glycoprotein expression in adult acute myeloid leukemia: correlation with induction treatment outcome.

Drug resistance has become a major cause of the treatment failure in patients with acute leukemia. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which is associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, has been reported to be an important predictor of the treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to analyze the value of P-gp expression in bone marrow cells as a predictor of the response to remission induction chemotherapy, as well as duration of remission in adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We examined the expression of P-gp in 31 patients using the monoclonal antibody UIC2. Direct immunofluorescent labeling was performed and samples were analyzed by flow cytomery. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (D-value) was used to estimate UIC2 staining. A D > or = 0.3 for labeling of gated leukaemic blasts as compared to that of the isotypic control was defined positive (+) and compared to clinical data. P-gp expression was found in 14/31 (45.6%) patients, 17/31 (54.8%) of the samples were found P-gp negative(-). No correlation was found regarding age, sex and FAB subtype, altough 6/14 (43%) cases with more than 50% of cells having P-gp expression, were CD34+/CD7+. Complete remission rates were significantly lower in UIC2+ patients than in UIC2- cases (70% vs 35%, p < 0.01). Complete remission duration was also shorter in UIC2+ patients (6 vs 12.4 months). Our data indicate, that P-gp expression is a reliable marker of resistance to induction treatment in patients with de novo AML and can help to identify patients who may require alternative regimens designed to overcome therapy resistance.

[Dynamics of changes in thyroxine levels in castrated newborn calves]. / Dynamika zmien tyroxínu u kastrovaných novonarodených býckov.

Changes in thyroxin levels were studied in calves castrated just after birth. The changes in thyroxin concentration in the blood serum were studied until the eighth day of life of the calves and the weight gains were monitored until weaning at an age of 90 days. In the experimental group, lower thyroxin levels were first recorded in the third hour post natum and were observed to persist until the eighth day; except for three hours the decrease was not statistically significant. Neither were any significant differences observed in the average daily gains in both groups of calves. Treatments like non-surgical castration in newborn calves do not elicit extreme stress reactions that would be conducive to disorders of health and vitality.

[Glycemia and glycosuria in the search for new energy sources for calves]. / Glykémia a glykozúria pri hl'adaní novej energetickej dotácie u teliat.

Monosaccharide (glucose), disaccharide (saccharose hydrolysate) and polysaccharide (maltodextrin KMS-X 70) were administered perorally to the calves of three age categories (pre-rumination, transition, rumination period) after 12-hour fasting. The following characteristics were investigated: glycaemia, glycosuria, lactic acid concentration, plasma osmolality, hematocrit value, net acid-base secretion and excrement dry matter. The degree of saccharide utilization was evaluated from glycaemia, glycosuria and clinical condition. The administration of maltodextrins to calves at the age of two to three weeks was not found convenient. The absorption of saccharose (hydrolyzate depended strongly on age. The saccharose hydrolyzate dose of 2.5 g per kg l. w. was calculated with respect to glycaemia and glycosuria, but not to the excrement dry matter content. In comparison with glucose absorption, saccharose hydrolyzate seems to be a convenient energy source for calves of different age categories.

[Methemoglobinemia in calves with emphasis on the dam-calf relationship and after experimental administration of nitrates]. / Methemoglobinémia u teliat najmä vo vztahu matka-tela a po experimentálnom ovplyvnení dusicnanmi.

A field investigation of methaemoglobinaemia was performed in healthy calves and in calves suffering from diarrhoeas at different age periods; methaemoglobinaemia of dairy cows and their newborn calves was examined at the average age of 2.5 days. In the other part of this study, NO-3-ion was administered experimentally per os to the calf organisms at doses of 0.15 and 0.3 g KNO3.kg-1 liveweight; this treatment induced a low to medium degree of clinical methaemoglobinaemia. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to comment on the physiological standard of methaemoglobinaemia (less than 3% MaHb) in the total haemoglobin, urgent time of methaemoglobin detection after nitrate intake (2 to 8 h) with respect to the fast dynamics of nitrates, and the importance of subclinical form of methaemoglobinaemia and its relationship to the ontogenetic development of piglets.

[Peroral administration of zinc sulfate to pregnant cows and its effect on selected metabolic indicators in the dam-calf lineage]. / Perorálna aplikácia síranu zinocnatého gravidným plemenniciam a jej vplyv na vybrané metabolické ukazovatele po osi matka-mláda.

A comparative trial was conducted with the oral administration of zinc sulphate to pregnant cows and heifers aimed at influencing the selected metabolic parameters in the dam-calf line. The total daily ZnSO4.7H2O dose of 3 g (680 mg Zn++) was given to dry standing cows and heifers for 35 days on an average (15-65) before the expected date of calving. The breeding conditions in the stock were problematic: losses of calves suffered in the last half-a-year period were higher than 30% of born calves; the main causes of this high mortality were coli-septicaemia and coli-enteritis. As compared with the eight control animals, the experimental cows and heifers (12 head) exhibited a transient increase in zincaemia, followed by a tendency to proteinaemia; aspartate aminotransferase activity increased, total immunoglobulins remained unchanged, and decreases were recorded in the activities of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase and aldolase. On the other hand, the concentration of total bilirubin tended to increase. In 77% of the cows and first-calvers of the experimental group the quality of colostrum complied with the standard; in the case of the control animals this proportion was 83%. Significant zincaemia occurred in the calves of the experimental cows between the first and 14th day of their age; no differences from the control calves were recorded in immunoglobulinaemia, proteinaemia, albuminaemia and in the activities of alanine aminotransferase and creatine phosphokinase. On the other hand, aspartate aminotransferase activity tended to grow and alkaline phosphatase activity tended to sink. Neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia disappeared within the first 14 days of age in both the experimental and the control calves. The results failed to show clearly that the intention to increase the values of the studied parameters of immunopoiesis was met.