Clinical significance of urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

The research focused on the diagnostic usefulness of urinary glycosaminoglycans excretion as new markers related to the ECM remodeling in the intestine. Their possible suitability in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment monitoring in the course of the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), i.e. ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) were assessed in this study. Urinary excretion of total sulfated glycosaminoglycans (TGAG) and fraction of chondroitin sulfates (CS) were analysed in 47 patiens with IBD, including 31 patients with UC and 16 patients with CD at baseline and after one year of therapy. Sulfated GAGs excreted in urine were quantitated using standardized dye-binding method. A several-fold increase in urinary excretion of total GAG and CS fraction in both UC and CD patients compared to healthy subjects indicates the potential usefulness of quantitative urinary GAG analysis in the diagnosis of IBD. No differences were found in the amount of GAG excreted in the urine in patients with UC and CD. Adalimumab resulted in a decrease in the activity of the inflammatory process and the activity of the disease expressed in the Mayo scale, which was accompanied by an increase in the amount of CS excreted in the urine of UC patients. Moreover, significant correlation was found between Mayo scale and urinary total GAG and CS excretion in UC patients. The quantitative assessment of total glycosaminoglycans and chondroitin sulfates fraction in urine may be a marker helpful in the early diagnosis of IBD.

Platelet Carbonic Anhydrase II, a Forgotten Enzyme, May Be Responsible for Aspirin Resistance.

BACKGROUND: Thromboembolic events constitute a major health problem, despite the steadily expanding arsenal of antiplatelet drugs. Hence, there is still a need to optimize the antiplatelet therapy. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to verify a hypothesis that there are no differences in platelet proteome between two groups of healthy people representing different acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) responses as assessed by the liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) technique. PATIENTS/METHODS: A total of 61 healthy volunteers were recruited for the study. Physical examination and blood collection were followed by platelet-rich plasma aggregation assays and platelet separation for proteomic LC/MS analysis. Arachidonic acid- (AA-) induced aggregation (in the presence of aspirin) allowed to divide study participants into two groups aspirin-resistant (AR) and aspirin-sensitive (AS) ones. Subsequently, platelet proteome was compared in groups using the LC/MS analysis. RESULTS: The LC/MS analysis of platelet proteome between groups revealed that out of all identified proteins, the only discriminatory protein, affecting aspirin responsiveness, is platelet carbonic anhydrase II (CA II). CONCLUSIONS: CA II is a platelet function modulator and should be taken into consideration as a cardiovascular event risk factor or therapeutic target.

Popliteal artery thrombosis secondary to a tibial osteochondroma.

Popliteal artery thrombosis may present as a complication of an osteochondroma located in the vicinity of the knee joint. This is a case report of a 26-year-old man with symptoms of the right lower extremity ischaemia without a previous history of vascular disease or trauma. Plain radiography, magnetic resonance angiography and Doppler ultrasonography documented the presence of an osteochondrous structure of the proximal tibial metaphysis, which displaced and compressed the popliteal artery, causing its occlusion due to intraluminal thrombosis..The patient was operated and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of osteochondroma.

[Is there any risk interaction between electromagnetic field generated by mobile phones and artificial pacemakers]. / Czy pole elektromagnetyczne wytwarzane przez telefonie komórkowa powoduje zaklócenia w dzialaniu sztucznych stymulatorów serca?

Electromagnetic noise is rapidly increasing in the environment. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) originating from a variety of different sources have been shown to interfere with the function of implanted cardiac pacemaker. The authors present the effect of EMF generated by wireless telephones on different types of artificial pacemakers. In addition, instructions on safe use of mobile phones addressed to people with implanted artificial pacemaker are provided.

[Angioplasty of several stenoses including the left main coronary artery in a patient with acute circulatory insufficiency after myocardial infarction]. / Angioplastyka kilku zwezen, w tym pnia lewej tetnicy wiencowej, u chorego z ostra niewydolnoscia krazenia po zawale serca.

A 74 year old man with diabetes and multivessel coronary heart disease involving also left main coronary artery is presented. The patient was admitted to the hospital because of acute myocardial infarction. PTCA of left main coronary artery and other four severe stenoses was attempted. The clinical status after procedure, short-term (after eight months) and long-term (after five years) was much improved.

[Invasive treatment of recent myocardial infarction. Evaluation of left ventricular function]. / Leczenie inwazyjne swiezego zawalu serca. Ocena funkcji lewej komory.

Hemodynamic parameters of left ventricular function were assessed in 179 patients with acute myocardial infarction, who were treated with intracoronary thrombolysis during first six hours after the onset of chest pain. Some of them were subjected to coronary angioplasty. Patency of the infarct related artery was controlled between the 2nd and 3rd week after acute myocardial infarction concomitant with evaluation of EF and LVEDP. Reperfusion of the infarct related artery was obtained in 121 patients (67.6%) and also significant increase of EF was observed in those patients. EF rose in patients with a patent coronary artery after 2-3 weeks (not significant) in contrast to patients with obstructed coronary artery in whom there was a fall in EF. The rise of EF was more pronounced in patients with reperfusion reached in 3 hours after the onset of infarct pain and without coronary angioplasty. It was shown that LVEDP is not usefull in estimation of left ventricular function.