The importance of the training-induced decrease in basal cortisol concentration in the improvement in muscular performance in humans.

Acute exercise-induced changes in cortisol concentration (C) and training related adaptation within hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been widely examined, but their influence on muscle strength performance is at best uncertain. Twenty four young healthy men were randomly assigned to an endurance training group (ET, n=12) or to a non-exercising controls (CON, n=12). ET performed supervised endurance training on cycle ergometer for 20 weeks. Endurance training program improved exercise capacity (14 % increase in power output generated at peak oxygen uptake - VO(2peak)), muscle strength performance (increase in MVC - maximal voluntary contraction - by 9 % and in TTF 50 % MVC - time to fatigue at 50 % MVC - by 21 %) and led to a decrease in basal serum C concentration (P=0.006) and an increase in basal testosterone to cortisol (T/C) and free testosterone to cortisol (fT/C) ratios (P=0.01 and P=0.02, respectively). It was found that the decrease in C concentration (deltaC) was positively correlated to the increase in local muscular endurance (deltaTTF 50 % MVC). No significant hormonal changes were seen in CON group. It is concluded that greater decrease in cortisol concentration after the endurance training is accompanied by poorer improvement in skeletal muscle performance in previously untrained subjects.

Predictive value of SCC-Ag, CYFRA 21-1 and selected acute phase proteins in radiotherapy of pharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. A preliminary report.

The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of tumor markers in head and neck cancers is not satisfactory. It is a stimulus for search of other biochemical indicators, among others determinations of acute phase proteins, helpful in head and neck cancers diagnostics and prognosis. In a group of 33 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx and larynx (T1-4 N0-3 M0) CYFRA 21-1, SCC-Ag and acute phase proteins such as prealbumin, albumin, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, alpha-1 antytrypsin, transferrin, ceruloplasmin and C-reactive protein (CRP) determinations were performed before radiotherapy. Significantly greater area under ROC curve for CYFRA 21-1 than for SCC-Ag was found. In T3-4 group, significantly lower albumin and higher AAG and CRP concentrations in comparison with T1-2 patients were observed. Multivariate analysis revealed that apart from tumor stage, elevated concentrations of SCC-Ag and/or CRP are independent unfavorable prognostic factors.

[Evaluation of efficacy and toxicity of PC chemotherapy (cisplatin, cyclophosphamide) administered with amifostine in patients with clinically advanced ovarian cancer]. / Ocena skutecznosci i toksycznosci chemioterapii PC (cisplatyna i cyklofosfamid) podanej pod oslona amifostyny u chorych w róznym stopniu zaawansowania klinicznego raka jajnika.

Twenty patients with advanced ovarian cancer were treated with chemotherapy PC (cisplatin 100 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 1000 mg/m2) administered with amifostine. Sixty five percent of patients had objective response with 25% complete response rate. Tolerance of treatment was satisfactory. Only in 1 patients side effects were the reason of treatment interruption. Amifostine markedly decreases chemotherapy toxicity, mainly hematological and does not seem to influence the efficacy of chemotherapy.