Retrospective review and current knowledge on the occurrence of West Nile virus in mosquito vectors, reservoirs and hosts in Slovakia (Central Europe).

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus (the genus Flavivirus) representing a medical and veterinary public health concern. Birds are the most important reservoirs. Culicine mosquitoes transmit WNV to vertebrate hosts (including horses and humans) and migratory birds play role in its long-distance transport. Slovakia is geographically localised at the crossroad of migration routes connecting South Europe and Africa with breeding localities in the Western, Northern, Central and Eastern Europe and Siberia. This review summarizes historical and present knowledge on WNV in Slovakia during a period of more than fifty years. Five European mosquito species capable to transmit WNV are native in Slovakia. Based on recent research results, the major role in the WNV transmission is attributed to Culex mosquitoes, which are also the most abundant species. Virus isolates from birds that succumbed to WNV infection are genetically close to Central European strains. Historical and recent results point out, that WNV circulates in the population of vectors, reservoirs and hosts for decades. Although West Nile fever epidemics in Slovakia were not reported yet, virus isolation, molecular detection and serological findings in reservoirs and hosts confirm that sporadic cases occur. Furthermore, the first autochthonous human case may indicate favourable conditions for WNV transmission to humans. The climate change and precipitation anomalies may favour to increase vector abundance, hence increase the chance of WNV epidemics. This review highlights an urgent need of a countrywide surveillance program aimed on the WNV occurrence in vectors and reservoirs in Slovakia. Keywords: West Nile virus; flavivirus; vector-borne pathogen; arbovirus.

Impact of mitochondrial function on yeast susceptibility to antifungal compounds.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae pell and crd1 mutants deficient in the biosynthesis of mitochondrial phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL) as well as Kluyveromyces lactis mutants impaired in the respiratory chain function (RCF) containing dysfunctional mitochondria show altered sensitivity to metabolic inhibitors. The S. cerevisiae pell mutant displayed increased sensitivity to cycloheximide, chloramphenicol, oligomycin and the cell-wall perturbing agents caffeine, caspofungin and hygromycin. On the other hand, the pel1 mutant was less sensitive to fluconazole, similarly as the K. lactis mutants impaired in the function of mitochondrial cytochromes. Mitochondrial dysfunction resulting either from the absence of PG and CL or impairment of the RCF presumably renders the cells more resistant to fluconazole. The increased tolerance of K. lactis respiratory chain mutants to amphotericin B, caffeine and hygromycin is probably related to a modification of the cell wall.

As bone marrow scintigraphy in patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

Bone marrow scintigraphy after the application of indium 111In was compared with the results of bone marrow puncture in 18 patients with Hodgkin's disease treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Agreement was found in 85% of the cases. When the results of bone marrow puncture were compared with the general state of haemopoiesis estimated scintigraphically agreement was found in only 65%. Bone marrow scintigraphy gives a more detailed knowledge of the general state of haemopoiesis and serves as a guide for the control of therapy with cytostatics and/or irradiation.

Hypocholesterolemic effect of ascorbic acid in maturity-onset diabetes mellitus.

A significantly lower vitamin C concentration has been found in the blood and particularly in the leukocytes of hypercholesterolemic diabetic patients than of healthy blood donors. Ascorbic acid administered in a dose of 500 mg per day for 12 months to metabolically stabilized hypercholesterolemic subjects with maturity-onset diabetes mellitus (diabetic diet without insulin or diabetic drugs) brought about a striking decline of cholesterolemia and a moderate decline of triglyceridemia. The serum lipid level in the control group given placebo remained unaltered. A daily administration of 500 mg of ascorbic acid for six months failed to affect the fasting level of serum immunoreactive insulin. It is assumed that the long-term administration of ascorbic acid to maturity-onset diabetics removed the tissue ascorbate deficiency and improved the liver ability to compensate the increased endogenous synthesis of cholesterol by its enhanced transformation to bile acids.

[Thyroid gland function in women with breast carcinoma]. / Funkce stítné zlázy u zen s karcinomem prsu.

Data in the literature concerning thyroid disease in women after treatment of breast cancer differ. The authors examined therefore the thyroid function (thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, antibodies against thyroid peroxidase and against thyroglobulin) in a random sample of 76 women after ablation of the breast on account of carcinoma. A deviation in some of the investigated indicators was found in 46,7% of the examined women. A total of 10,5% women had an elevated level of thyroid stimulating hormone, in 18,4% both antibodies were positive, in another 11,8% antibodies against thyroglobulin only were positive and in 9,2% antibodies against thyroid peroxidase were positive. In none of the women the thyroxine level was beyond the physiological, i.e. normal range, the triiodothyronine level was elevated in 5,2%. Newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism in 10,5% of the group supports the hypothesis of a more frequent thyroid abnormality in women treated on account of breast cancer. The cause and sequelae of this finding will be investigated.

Regulation of phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase in aerobic yeast Kluyveromyces lactis.

The KlPGS1 gene encoding phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase (PGPS) is essential for the viability and multiplication of Kluyveromyces lactis. Regulation of PGPS expression by factors affecting mitochondrial development (C source, growth phase) and general phospholipid biosynthesis was followed. PGS1 mRNA levels were not altered as cells progressed from the exponential to the stationary phase of growth in glucose. PGS1 mRNA abundance was nearly identical in cells growing in a medium with glucose or glycerol as the sole C source during the different growth phases. Regulation of PGS1 expression by exogenous myo-inositol and choline was not mediated at the transcriptional level, the PGPS activity dropped to 70 % after myo-inositol addition.