Umbilical serum concentrations of chemokines (RANTES and MGSA/GRO-alpha) in preterm and term neonates.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between labor (preterm and term) and umbilical blood serum regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and melanoma growth stimulatory activity/growth-related oncogene-a (MSGA/GRO-alpha) concentration, and to determine whether early sepsis and pneumonia are associated with changes in concentrations of the chemokines (RANTES and MSGA/GRO-alpha) in umbilical blood serum. METHODS: Umbilical blood was obtained from 67 neonates in the following groups: (i) preterm neonates with early sepsis; (ii) preterm neonates with pneumonia; (iii) non-infected preterm neonates; and (iv) full-term healthy neonates. RANTES and MGSA/GRO-alpha concentrations were determined by use of a commercially available immunoassay kit. RESULTS: Non-infected preterm neonates had lower RANTES concentrations than healthy term neonates. Preterm infected neonates (pneumonia or sepsis) did not have higher RANTES concentrations than non-infected preterm neonates. In contrast, non-infected preterm neonates had higher MSGA/GRO-alpha concentrations than full-term healthy neonates. And preterm neonates with sepsis had higher MGSA/GRO-alpha concentrations than preterm ones with pneumonia and non-infected preterm ones. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm neonates had constitutively lower RANTES concentrations than term ones and it seems that during infection RANTES concentrations did not increase. MGSA/GRO-a concentrations were constitutively higher in preterm than term neonates, and septic events further increased its concentrations in preterm neonates.

The activity of ornithine transcarbamoylase and arginase during mechanical jaundice in the rat model.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of morbidity and mortality associated with intervention of the biliary system in patients with obstructive jaundice is unknown. Mechanical jaundice initiates the development of morphological changes in hepatocytes with concomitant disturbances in metabolism. These are followed by changes in enzyme activity in hepatocytes and peripheral blood. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into three groups: group 1, sham-operated controls; group 2, rats with permanent jaundice; and group 3, rats with temporary mechanical jaundice. The animals were examined at 2 weeks (groups A), 4 weeks (groups B) and 6 weeks (groups C) after surgery. We explored the impact of induced mechanical jaundice on the activity of selected urea cycle enzymes (arginase [E.C.3.5.3.1] and ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC) [E.C.2.1.3.3]). RESULTS: Mechanical jaundice was found to induce changes in hepatocytic metabolism, which in turn led to disturbances in the urea cycle and the process of transamination. After relief of the mechanical jaundice (recanalization of the common bile duct), the urea cycle activity in the liver was greatly increased despite the normalization of the basic biochemical indices. CONCLUSION: The results of the experiment confirmed the hypothesis that long-term mechanical jaundice causes lasting disturbances in hepatocytic metabolism. We conclude that the rate of nitrogen metabolism is higher after recanalization of the bile duct.

[Chemokines in the diagnosis of neonatal infections]. / Chemokiny w diagnostyce zakazen noworodków.

Bacterial infection is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The increased susceptibility of the neonate especially premature one, for bacterial infection is the result of several factors including a delayed maturation of immune response of neonatal B and T cells and deficiencies of the myelopoetic system. Chemokines constitute a large family of chemotactic cytokines with proinflammatory action, which are produced by large variety of cells. Although most inflammatory chemoatractants are only induced and released in the circulation during acute infection Large epidemiology studies are needed to clarify relationships among inflammation markers and their expression in the fetal and neonatal circulation over time. Such studies would also add to our understanding of the possible role of chemokines in the pathophysiology of the major complications of the neonate, especially premature one.

[The application of cryogenic temperatures in medicine]. / Zastosowanie temperatur kriogenicznych w medycynie.

An increased interest in effects of low temperatures on human organisms has been observed during last years. Low temperatures have been applied in cryotherapy and cryosurgery. In our article we show the influence of low temperatures on different physiological mechanisms and the possibility of their application in the therapy.

Chemiluminescence of pulmonary macrophages from patients with inactive sarcoidosis, in different radiological stages.

Luminol-amplified chemiluminescence was generated by alveolar macrophages, harvested from the bronchoalveolar lavages of 16 patients with different radiological stages of non-invasive (asymptomatic) sarcoidosis. None of the patients received any steroid therapy during this study. The mean duration of the disease in these patients was 8 months, with a duration time range of 6-14 months. Six patients were in radiological stage 1, five in radiological stage 2 and five in radiological stage 3. Alveolar macrophages from bronchoalveolar lavages of eight healthy non-smoking volunteers were used as controls. All alveolar macrophages were stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate. A significant decrease was recorded in the intensity of chemiluminescence generated by the phorbol-ester-stimulated alveolar macrophages obtained from patients with sarcoidosis of radiological stages 1 and 2, as compared to the cells collected from healthy individuals (controls). No decrease was recorded in the chemiluminescence generated by stimulated alveolar macrophages collected from patients with radiological stage 3, or from unstimulated alveolar macrophages of any patient. These results provide us with an indicative tool, which might enable us to differentiate, on a functional basis, between the activities of alveolar macrophages in non-active sarcoidosis.