Meningeal carcinomatosis as the first manifestation of malignant carcinomatosis.

Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) is a malignant infiltration of the leptomeninges and subarachnoid space and can be a devastating complication of a systemic malignancy. Although often found in patients with known metastatic malignancies, MC can also be the initial manifestation of an underlying malignancy. We report four case studies where back pain, dizziness, cognitive decline, headache and headache with the cranial nerve VI palsy were the first signs of MC. In two cases, adenocarcinoma ventriculi was found, in other one, the markers of the gastrointestinal tract malignancy were highly positive but malignity was not found, and in the last one, there was a known breast carcinoma. The diagnosis of MC requires the finding of malignant cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, but sometimes several lumbar punctures are required to establish the diagnosis, and also MRI with gadolinium. Finally, we would like to highlight the fact that markedly decreased glycorrhachia in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can also be the first sign of MC (Fig. 6, Tab. 2, Ref. 23).

Targeting immune response induction with cochleate and liposome-based vaccines.

The immune response generated by infection with a pathogenic organism, or by vaccination with a live attenuated or whole killed pathogen, often does not stimulate optimal protection against that organism. Lipid matrix-based subunit vaccines can be used to produce custom-designed vaccines, that elicit desired immune responses targeted to specific parts of the pathogen that are relevant to protection. Harmful or competitive responses can be minimized or avoided. Earlier work with liposomes has allowed the development of a new class of subunit vaccines called cochleate delivery vehicles, whose structure and properties are very different from liposomes. Protein and DNA cochleates are highly effective vaccines when given via mucosal or parenteral routes, including oral, intranasal, intramuscular, or subcutaneous. Strong, long-lasting, mucosal and circulating, antibody and cell-mediated responses are generated. Protection from challenge with live viruses following oral or intramuscular administration has been achieved.

Lipid matrix-based subunit vaccines: a structure-function approach to oral and parenteral immunization.

Immunization is today the most effective defense mechanism against microbial infections. Although highly effective vaccines are currently available for a number of infectious diseases, vaccine formulations can still be improved in a number of important areas. The ability to induce antigen-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity is crucial to the development of effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for HIV and other pathogens. The approach of our laboratory has been to design and test simple, highly defined antigen-lipid complexes that would stimulate antibody and cell-mediated immune responses in the absence of any nonspecific immunological activators such as Freund's adjuvant, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or alum. These studies have provided insight into the relationships between the properties of an immunogen and the induction of the desired immune responses. We have previously utilized this approach to define the minimal structures required for the induction of antibody responses. Our more recent studies have focused on defining the parameters involved in the induction of cell-mediated and mucosal immune responses. Toward this end we have developed a new type of subunit vaccine that is effective when given orally or intramuscularly, and elucidated structure-function relationships in peptide vaccines that affect induction of CD8+ cell responses.

Salivary and plasma insulin levels in man.

Changes in plasma and salivary immunoreactive insulin were studied in saliva and blood of 9 healthy subjects following either oral glucose or a test meal ingestion at 30 min intervals for up to 3h. The levels of plasma immunoreactive insulin reached maximum at 60 min with a value of 62.77 +/- 6.52 microU/ml after the glucose load and 62.62 +/- 6.52 microU/ml after the test meal. In the case of salivary immunoreactive insulin levels, the maximum was attained at 90 min with a value of 18.47 +/- 2.68 microU/min after the glucose load and 22.40 +/- 2.01 microU/min after the test meal. Positive linear correlation (r = 0.74) was found between the salivary and plasma immunoreactive insulin levels.

[Osteomalacia. I. Review]. / Osteomalácia. I. Súborný referát.

The authors present the survey of the history, diagnostics and treatment of osteomalacia with special treatment to Looser zone and Milkman syndrome. For the application in the clinical practice we recommend the bone index after McKenn. The authors point out favourable results of longterm vitamin D therapy.

[Osteomalacia. II. The Milkman-Looser syndrome. Case report]. / Osteomalácia. II. Milkman-Looseruv syndróm. Kazuistika.

The authors present the case study of Milkman-Looser syndrome in a 83 years old female patient. The diagnosis was made on the basis of typical laboratory and X-ray findings. The authors point out excellent curative effect of vitamin D.