Is there an increased risk of colorectal cancer after cholecystectomy?

The incidence of cholecystectomy was not higher in 525 colorectal cancer patients than in subjects without colorectal cancer of the same age and sex living in the same region. If we did not include the persons who underwent cholecystectomy 1 or 2 years before the diagnosis or the examination was made, the number of cholecystectomy patients was the same in both groups. Right-sided and left-sided localizations of colon cancer after cholecystectomy did not differ from those without cholecystectomy. The tendency to right-sided colon cancer in women who have undergone cholecystectomy was not significant. Patients after cholecystectomy have no higher risk of colorectal cancer than persons without cholecystectomy.

Colicinogeny in colorectal cancer.

Colicins, bacteriocins of Escherichia coli and related bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae family, form a very heterogeneous group of antibiotically active substances of proteinaceous material. Antitumorous effect of colicins have also been demonstrated experimentally. The large bowel has been found to be a site of their native action. Therefore, our work has been aimed at investigating colicinogenicity in patients with colorectal carcinoma. From a total number of 77 patients with colorectal carcinoma, colicinogenic Escherichia coli was found in 32 persons (41.6%), whereas from a total of 160 control clinically healthy persons, colicinogenic Escherichia coli was found in 102 persons (63.8%). The difference is statistically significant (p less than 0.05). The absence of colicinogenic Escherichia coli may be one of the factors contributing to the origin and development of colorectal carcinoma in some of the patients studied. Studies of patients with adenomatous polyps, members of colon cancer families, and large prospective studies of the general population will be necessary to prove this hypothesis.

[Immunologic examination of the blood in the differential diagnosis of acute gouty arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis]. / Imunologická vysetrení v séru v diferenciální diagnostice akutní dnavé artritidy a revmatoidní artritidy.

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%.

[Cardiac tamponade as a complication of acute myocardial infarct. (Clinical and pathologico-anatomic analysis of patients with acute myocardial infarct and cardiac tamponade)]. / Srdecní tamponáda jako komplikace akutního srdecního infarktu. (Klinický a patologicko-anatomický rozbor nemocných s akutním srdecním infarktem a srdecni tamponádou.)

Cardiac tamponade is a frequent cause of death in acute myocardial infarction--in as many 23%. It is encountered in particular in the 7th and 8th decade, in patients with a first infarction which is frequently situated in the anterior wall of the left ventricle. 93% of the patients have obvious ECG manifestations of Q infarction. The diagnosis of cardiac tamponade is easy when during an acute terminal attack slow activity on the ECG tracing is found without a haemodynamic response and the pulse on the great arteries is not palpable even after external cardiac massage. In 80% the onset of cardiac tamponade is very sudden. The presence of shock or cardiac failure makes the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade more difficult. As to investigated indicators, in the development of cardiac tamponade the systemic pressure--systolic as well as diastolic--on admission or during hospitalization, may play a part. The patients have a less marked coronary sclerosis, fibrosis of the cardiac muscle is less frequently present. Previous necroses of the heart muscle may have probably a certain protective effect on the development of cardiac tamponade. Anticoagulants obviously do not influence the development of cardiac tamponade.

[Predictive value of indicators of oxygen supply to tissues in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease]. / Predpovední význam ukazatelu dodávky kyslíku ke tkáním u nemocných s chronickou obstrukcní chorobou plicní.

The authors investigated in a group of 83 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease the prognostic impact of some indicators of pulmonary function, haemodynamics and oxygen transport. They demonstrated that the prognosis is less favourable in patients with a lower one-second vital capacity with a higher median pressure in the pulmonary artery, with a lower oxygen tension in the arterial blood and higher haemoglobin concentration. They did not reveal significant differences between those who died and those who survived for more than five years, after the examination, as regards oxygen supply of tissues, oxygen consumption, coefficient of oxygen extraction and values of oxygen tension in mixed venous blood. Oxygen inhalation led to an increased oxygen supply of tissues and increased oxygen tension in mixed venous blood to normal values in all examined groups. This observation may be one of the explanations of the more favourable prognosis of patients with respiratory insufficiency, associated with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, who have permanent oxygen therapy during domiciliary care.

[Long-term results of scleroplasty surgery in children]. / Dlouhodobé výsledky skleroplastických operací u detí.

The authors presents results of scleroplastic operations in 411 children (773 eyes) followed up to 7 years after surgery: Most frequently eyes with the diagnosis myopia progressiva (397 = 51.4%) and myopia gravis (330 = 12.7%) were operated. The mean age at the time of operation was 12.2 +/- 3.0 years myopia progressiva and 10.8 +/- 3.9 years in myopia gravis. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0002). The visual acuity was on average better throughout the follow-up period in both main diagnoses, as compared with initial values. The progression of myopia (subjective refraction) slowed down markedly after surgery and was 0.26 D/year in myopia progressiva and 0.23 D/year in myopia gravis. The authors recommend scleroplasty to prevent significant progression of myopia and for longterm preservation of visual functions.

Long-term results of scleroplasty operations in children.

The authors refer results of 773 scleroplasty operations performed in 411 children, mean age was 11.3, S.D. 3.6 years. Irradiated human sclera proved to be the best material for scleral reinforcement. Mean myopia progression was 0.26 D/year in myopia progressiva and 0.23 D/year in myopia gravis. Mean visual acuity was better in all intervals after surgery (p = 0.0000 one and four years after, 0.0002 six years after in myopia progressiva, in the same intervals in myopia gravis it was 0.0009, 0.0027, 0.0002). Scleral reinforcement can positively influence myopia progression.

The effect of chronic exposure to 100 ppm carbon monoxide on brain biomines, serum corticosterone and organ weights in rats.

The effect of chronic exposure to 100 ppm (0.01%) CO on pituitary-adrenal activity was evaluated by measuring serum corticosterone and brain bioamine levels in the rat. Exposure to CO for 1 month induced a decrease in the brain serotonin levels. Serum corticosterone, brain dopamine and noradrenaline as well as the weight of the adrenal glands, lungs, spleen and liver were unchanged. After two months of exposure, serum corticosterone and brain serotonin levels were elevated and the liver weight was significantly lower. This suggests that at this chronic low concentration CO acts as a stressor, and the organism initiates a general defensive reaction. The effect of CO on the pituitary-adrenal axis could be mediated by a central neuronal pathway.

A microassay for tetrazolium-reductase activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes--comparison with a test-tube technique.

A micromethod for quantitative INT test is described to assay the activity of human peripheral blood PMNL. PMNL are obtained from a pellet after the separation of mononuclear cells. The test is performed in microtiter plates with 96 wells. The estimation of the activity is based on the colour change following the INT reduction to formazane. As a stimulating agent starch (rice species--Amylum oryzae) or zymosan is used. Absorbance alternations are measured using a microplate reader (e.g. MR 580, Dynatech). Conditions necessary for standard results (i.e. PMNL concentration, type and concentration of stimulating agent, incubation time, sedimentation time for PMNL isolation) were verified experimentally. Blood samples of 60 blood donors were simultaneously tested by the micromethod and the test-tube method. The statistical analysis (F-test of homogeneity of variances, t-test with paired observations, correlation coefficient of tightness of dependence) proved that the results of the micromethod were comparable to the test-tube assay. The advantages of the micromethod are as follows: low blood consumption, possibility to perform more parallel examinations of the same sample, and to test more samples at a time, standard and highly reproducible results, saving of reagents, reduction of labour time, possibility of some further automation.