Treatment of potato farm wastewater with sand filtration.

This study examined sand filtration as a component of a potato farm wastewater treatment system. Two different sand filter designs, saturated flow and unsaturated flow, were evaluated at three different loading rates: 34, 68, and 136 L m(-2) d(-1). Filter design had a significant effect, with unsaturated flow sand filters having significantly (p < .05) better total suspended solids (TSS) removal (89%) than saturated flow sand filters did (79%). Loading rate also had a significant (p < .05) effect, given that the lowest loading rate had higher mass removal for TSS than the higher loading rates did. Overall, all sand filters removed TSS, 5-d biochemical oxygen demand, and total phosphorus well (62-99%). Total nitrogen removal was twice as high in unsaturated flow filters (53%) than in saturated flow filters (27%), because of the recurring cycle of aerobic and anaerobic conditions during sand saturation and drying in unsaturated flow sand filters.

Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis: the endocrine relations and the pathogenesis. Review.

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell or temporal arteritis (TA) are related chronic inflammatory conditions which typically affect the aged subjects. Typical features of PMR include general symptoms of inflammation as well as severe muscle pain in shoulder and pelvic girdle. The manifestation of TA depends on localization of affected artery, usually branch vessels of the aortic arch. Etiology of PMR and TA remains unclear. The association with HLA system and characteristics of the inflammatory response are discussed in this paper. Age related changes in neuroendocrine system could also represent a pathogenic factor in genetically disposed individuals. Complex bi-directional neuroendocrine-immune relations are further modified by ongoing chronic inflammation. Good clinical response to glucocorticoids in PMR patients supports the assumption that the actual levels of cortisol are lower than would be expected during ongoing inflammation. Moreover, decreased levels of adrenal androgens have been observed in PMR and thus possible adrenal androgens supplementation during glucocorticoid treatment sketches new prospects for the treatment of PMR and TA.

[Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis--first results of a year-long study]. / Polymyalgia rheumatica a obrovskobunková arteritída: prvé výsledky rocného sledovania.

INTRODUCTION: Due to ageing of population, gerontorheumatology becomes more and more important. Both polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) typically develop in later life and they have many other common features. The aim of our study was to explore diagnostic and prognostic markers and, prospectively, establish diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm for patients with PMR and GCA. SAMPLE AND METHODS: We examined 27 patients with suspected PMR or OBA. The diagnosis was verified in 22 patients. Three of them were in a long-term clinical remission. Besides examination for basic clinical and laboratory parameters, all other patients were subjected to ultrasonography of temporal artery and peripheral joints to detect any exudates. Also, they were examined for T-cell subpopulations in peripheral blood and HLA antigens. RESULTS: Exudate was confirmed in 7 patients; some of them had exudate in multiple joints. Puncture of synovial fluid was done in 4 patients. Increased resistance index of temporal artery was found in 2 patients with GCA and 4 patients with PMR. GCA patients showed lower level of T-cells and increased activation of CD8-cells. Decreased count of CD8+ T-cells was observed in 56 % of PMR patients. Analysis of HLA antigens indicates that GCA, rheumatoid arthritis and, probably, PMR are associated with HLA-DR4 antigen in Slovak population. CONCLUSION: The importance of assessment of disease activity and its prognosis in PMR or GCA patients via ultrasonographic evaluation of exudate in peripheral joints and resistance index of temporal artery as well as the analysis of T-cell distribution in peripheral blood and incidence of HLA-antigens has not been proved yet. Practical significance of monitoring the above-mentioned parameters can be verified only by further prospective study performed with a larger sample of patients.

CC chemokine receptor 5 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphisms in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and also mononuclear cell-attractant chemokines CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5 have been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS). Both the gene coding for receptor CCR5 binding the aforementioned CCL ligands and the gene for IL-1Ra are polymorphic. We have therefore in a case control study assessed the putative role of these "candidate" polymorphic genes in the inflammatory process in Sjögren syndrome. METHODS: DNA was obtained from 39 unrelated patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and 76 unrelated healthy controls; all subjects were Caucasians of Slovak origin. CCR5 delta 32 and IL-1Ra VNTR polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-SSP. RESULTS: The frequencies of CCR5 delta 32 in patients with pSS were different from that in control subjects: there was an apparent decrease of the mutant allele in the patient group. CCR5 delta 32/CCR5 heterozygosity was associated with a reduced relative risk of pSS (OR 0.35, p = 0.043). There was no difference in the distribution of the alleles of the IL-1Ra VNTR polymorphism between the groups of pSS patients and control subjects. CONCLUSION: In this population of patients with Sjögren's syndrome, the frequency of CCR5 delta 32/CCR5 genotype is significantly decreased. The data suggests that carrier status for the CCR5 delta 32 allele may contribute to protection from the development of primary Sjögren's syndrome. In contrast, IL-1Ra VNTR polymorphism does not confer susceptibility to primary Sjögren's syndrome in Slovak Caucasians.

High frequency of alkaptonuria in Slovakia: evidence for the appearance of multiple mutations in HGO involving different mutational hot spots.

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by the deficiency of homogentisate 1,2 dioxygenase (HGO) activity. AKU shows a very low prevalence (1:100,000-250,000) in most ethnic groups. One notable exception is in Slovakia, where the incidence of AKU rises to 1:19,000. This high incidence is difficult to explain by a classical founder effect, because as many as 10 different AKU mutations have been identified in this relatively small country. We have determined the allelic associations of 11 HGO intragenic polymorphisms for 44 AKU chromosomes from 20 Slovak pedigrees. These data were compared to the HGO haplotype data available in our laboratory for >80 AKU chromosomes from different European and non-European countries. The results show that common European AKU chromosomes have had only a marginal contribution to the Slovak AKU gene pool. Six of the ten Slovak AKU mutations, including the prevalent G152fs, G161R, G270R, and P370fs mutations, most likely originated in Slovakia. Data available for 17 Slovak AKU pedigrees indicate that most of the AKU chromosomes have their origins in a single very small region in the Carpathian mountains, in the northwestern part of the country. Since all six Slovak AKU mutations are associated with HGO mutational hot spots, we suggest that an increased mutation rate at the HGO gene is responsible for the clustering of AKU mutations in such a small geographical region.

Prolactin levels and autoantibodies in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We investigated the relationships between prolactin (PRL) levels and antibody occurrence in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No significant association between PRL levels and the majority of the autoantibodies studied (anti-U1 RNP, anti-rRNP, anti-Sm, anti-dsDNA, anti-DNP, auto-LCA, anti-EACA) could be confirmed (P > 0.05), anti-Ro/SSA antibodies being an exception. Our results showed significantly increased frequencies of these antibodies in the group of female SLE patients with normal PRL levels (< 20 micrograms/L): anti Ro/SSA in 53% (P < 0.025, chi 2 = 5.80, RR = 4.0) and anti-Ro/SSA + anti-Ro/La in 60% (P < 0.05, chi 2 = 4.05) compared with female SLE patients with hyperprolactinemia.

Coexistence of ochronosis and rheumatoid arthritis: a cause of delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Two rheumatic diseases can often coexist despite the interesting fact that gout and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are infrequently associated. We describe a patient with familial history of alkaptonuria and rheumatoid arthritis who developed both diseases. The exact time of onset of the RA was difficult to ascertain. The RA seemed to be rapidly progressive, possibly because of the delayed recognition, overly cautious drug treatment, or additive effects of the two diseases. Physicians should keep in mind the possible coexistence of two joint diseases in patients who are not doing well.

[Experimental colonic prosthesis using xenograft materials]. / Protezirovanie tolstoi kishki s ispol'zovaniem ksenoplasticheskikh materialov v éksperimente.

The authors by means of electrohydrodynamic modelling on a resistance paper substantiated the sizes of a graft necessary for colonic prosthetics. In the experiment on 16 mongrel dogs, a possibility to use xenograft materials for plasty of the colon is shown.

[Beta-2-microglobulin and ankylosing spondylitis]. / Beta-2-mikroglobulín a akylozujúca spondylitída.

Serum beta-2-microglobulin was examined by radioimmunoassay in 103 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 111 healthy blood-donors. Statistically significant difference between the group of patients and healthy individuals was found related to increased levels of this protein in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Furthers correlation analysis of beta-2-microglobulin in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and chosen clinical and humoral parameters of the disease activity was performed. Positive, statistically significant correlation with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, plasmatic gamma globulins, duration of morning stiffness and global activity of the disease was proved. Higher levels of beta-2-microglobulin in patients with ankylosing spondylitis could be attributed to activation of monocyte macrophages system in subpopulation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, which might be the evidence of the involvement of cytotoxic-T cell mechanisms in the pathogenesis of this disease.

[HLA antigens and primary prolapse of the mitral valve]. / HLA antigény a primárny prolaps mitrálnej chlopne.

The authors present results of investigation of antigens of the HLA system in primary mitral valvular prolapse. The investigated group of patients was formed by 23 not related patients with primary mitral valvular prolapse. (15 women, 8 men, aged 18-55 years) where HLA antigens of loci A, B and C were assessed. They found a significantly increased frequency of antigen HLA-B35 in the patients (56.52%), as compared with the population (18.33%, x2 = 18.48, Pcorr less than 0.01). The measure of the observed relationship is expressed by the relative risk value--RR = 5.81. The difference in the frequency of the other HLA antigens was not statistically significant.

The effect of allopurinol on lysosomal enzyme release.

Values of released enzymes from PMNL under resting conditions and after phagocytic stimulation in non-treated patients with gout were increased in comparison with healthy controls and hyperuricemic patients without joint involvement. Allopurinol, given to gout-patients for 3 weeks, had an inhibitory effect on PMNL lysosomal enzyme release from which was also observable after stimulation by opsonized zymosan. Similar results were obtained in experiments in vitro. The 1 hr preincubation of isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes with allopurinol in concentrations from 0.01 mM-1 mM resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of enzymes released into extracellular space.

Joint hypermobility in primary mitral valve prolapse patients.

Twenty-seven patients with echocardiographic evidence of primary mitral valve prolapse (MVP) were tested for the presence of joint hypermobility using the criteria of Beighton and Horan. In the examined group, joint hypermobility was found in 14 patients (52%). This occurrence was statistically significant. In patients with simultaneous occurrence of MVP and articular hypermobility we have found a number of pathologic arthrologic manifestations, such as arthralgias, synovitic reactions, distortions, low back pain, and others. In patients with articular hypermobility, there were increased functions of antigen B 35.

Deficiency of C2, the second complement component, in the family of a patient with SLE-like syndrome: the first case of hereditary C2 deficiency in Czechoslovakia.

A family with hereditary C2 deficiency was discovered in Czechoslovakia. The proband is a 47-year-old female with a SLE-like syndrome and zero activity of the classical complement pathway. Functional CH50, C1, C2, and C4 estimations for all family members revealed a homozygous C2 deficiency in both the proband and her elder sister, and several heterozygotic C2-deficient individuals. The defect segregates with haplo-type HLA A25, B18, DR2.