Seroprevalence of hantavirus antibodies among chronic hemodialysis patients in the Czech Republic.

A total of 348 serum samples were collected from 301 hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure of four healthcare settings in Western Bohemia. The sera were screened for the presence of hantavirus antibodies using ELISA kits (PROGEN Biotechnik GmbH) with Hantaan and Puumala antigens. Specific anti-Puumala antibodies were detected in five patients (1.7%). Although hantaviruses are known to cause primarily acute renal damage (interstitial nephritis) in Eurasia, chronic effects of hantavirus infection and the detection of specific antibodies in hemodialysis patients have also been reported. Nonetheless, the detection of seropositivity is not proof of an etiological link between hantaviruses and chronic renal failure. The hantavirus seropositivity rate in hemodialysis patients was not significantly higher than that in the general population. Our findings are consistent with the literature data and do not contradict the contribution of hantaviruses to the pathogenesis of chronic renal damage in the Czech Republic.

Pathological potential of astroglia.

The pathological potential of glial cells was recognized already by Rudolf Virchow, Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Pio Del Rio-Ortega. Many functions and roles performed by astroglia in the healthy brain determine their involvement in brain diseases; as indeed any kind of brain insult does affect astrocytes, and their performance in pathological conditions, to a very large extent, determines the survival of the brain parenchyma, the degree of damage and neurological defect. Astrocytes being in general responsible for overall brain homeostasis are involved in virtually every form of brain pathology. Here we provide an overview of recent developments in identifying the role and mechanisms of the pathological potential of astroglia.

[Incidence of tick-borne encephalitis in the West Bohemia Region 1960-1999--evaluation of vaccination]. / Výskyt klíst'ové encefalitidy v Západoceském kraji v letech 1960-1999--zhodnocení vakcinace.

In 1960-1999 in the West Bohemian region 1216 cases of tick-borne encephalitis were recorded, four were fatal. Since 1992 there was a marked increase in the number of these infections--in 1992-1999 the relative morbidity was 6.7 per 100,000 population per year, the highest specific morbidity shifted to the age group of 55-64 years. In the whole region changes occurred as to the probable transmission of infection. By the end of 1999 in western Bohemia the hygiene service immunized, by at least three doses against tick-borne encephalitis 23,225 subjects, i.e. 2.7% of the population. The negligible vaccination rate did not have so far an impact on the epidemiological characteristics of the infection. In view of the more frequent and clinically more severe affection in elderly subjects it is important to raise the vaccination rate in particular in more advanced age groups.

[Incidence of Lyme borreliosis in the West Bohemian Region (1988-1992)]. / Výskyt lymské boreliózy v Západoceském kraji (1988-1992).

During 1988-1992 the hygiene service of the West Bohemian region received 1,954 notifications of Lyme borreliosis (LB), incl. 48.5% confirmed by serological examination. Among the affected systems the skin, joints and the nervous system predominated. The most frequently reported vector were ticks which alone accounted for 57.8%. Contrastly to tick-borne encephalitis, the disease was detected in all districts of the region and in all age groups. The highest morbidity was recorded in women in the age bracket of 45-64 years.

Heat and osmotic stress enhance the development of cytoplasmic serine proteinase activity in sporulating Bacillus megaterium.

The intracellular Ca(2+)-dependent serine proteinase (ISP1) activity in the cytoplasm of nongrowing Bacillus megaterium incubated in a sporulation medium was determined at 35 degrees C and at temperatures decreasing the sporulation frequency (42 degrees C) or suppressing sporulation (43.5 degrees C). The enzyme in the crude cytoplasmic fraction was partially inhibited by a loosely bound inhibitor(s) because the ISP1 activity rose after protein fractionation by HPLC. Temperature shift-up or osmotic stress applied at 35 degrees C increased the development of the ISP1 activity several times. The increase was caused at least partially by the synthesis of the enzyme protein, as proved by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting of the cytoplasm. This enzyme thus probably belongs among heat-shock proteins.

[Hepatitis C virus antibodies in persons on dialysis]. / Protilátky proti viru Hepatitidy C u dialyzovaných osob.

Using the ELISA method (generation II), the authors made a single examination of 172 dialyzed patients for the presence of antibodies against the virus of hepatitis C (VHC). Antibodies were detected in 82 subjects, i. e. 47.7%. The prevalence of antibodies in the examined subjects increased with the number of dialyses, no relationship was found with the number of transfusions. Of 104 subjects where during inclusion into the dialyzation transplantation programme a rise of ALT occurred 69, i. e. 66.3%, had antibodies. Antibodies were detected in 17 of 44 subjects (38.6%) to whom so far blood was not administered. A decisive place in the prevention of VHC transmission in dialyzed subjects is held by non-specific preventive measures, transfusions are most probably not the decisive vehicle.

[The effect of a diet containing long-chain fatty acids on the formation of insoluble elastin in the rat aorta]. / Vliv diety obsahujici mastné kyseliny s dlouhým retezcem na tvorbu nerozpustného elastinu v aorte potkanú.

The paper deals with the influence of long-chain fatty acids on the formation of insoluble elastin in vivo. Oil isolated from the sea fish named flounder has been chosen as the source of those long-chain fatty acids. The diet containing the flounder oil was administered to pregnant rat females. The influence of fatty acids on the formation of insoluble elastin was evaluated according to the percentage changes of insoluble elastin in the aortas of newborn rats and to the changes of the amount of desmosine cross-links in isolated elastin. The administration of the diet with long-chain fatty acids causes no changes in the content of elastin in the aortas of the new-born rats, meanwhile the amount of desmosine increases considerably. The results on the aortas of new-born rats shown here are in good agreement with the changes on the aortas of 3-month-old rats published in a previous paper.

Changes of insoluble elastin in the rat aorta depending on isolation method.

The present paper brings data on quantitative and qualitative changes of insoluble elastin in the rat aorta depending on the used isolation method. In the content of desmosine crosslinks, so as in the accumulation of insoluble elastin in the aorta, considerable differences were found between the results obtained by means of the cyanogen bromide method and those determined in the samples after alkaline hydrolysis. It is underlined by the authors that these methodical differences must be taken into consideration whenever effects of various drugs on the formation of insoluble elastin and on the desmosine crosslinks are examined. Accumulation of insoluble elastin and formation of desmosine crosslinks in the rat aorta were found to be delayed as compared to the chicks. This, unlike the chicks, enables us to influence the formation of desmosine crosslinks in the rat even during the postnatal period.