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Anna Czlonkowska

Publications and source records attributed to Anna Czlonkowska.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

High dose of intravenously given glucocorticosteroids decrease IL-8 production by monocytes in multiple sclerosis patients treated during relapse.

The aim of our study was to determine whether high doses of intravenous methylprednisolone have significant impact on immune parameters during the multiple sclerosis (MS) exacerbations. Peripheral blood of 32 MS patients was evaluated, using two-color flow cytometry before glucocorticosteroids and after 7 days from starting therapy. Significant increase of B cells, decrease of NK cells and monocytes producing IL-8 were observed after treatment. IL-8 is one of the cytokines responsible for blood-brain-barrier disruption and migration of immune cells to the central nervous system; in this aspect, explaining glucocorticosteroid effects during MS exacerbations.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Underfunding of stroke research: a Europe-wide problem.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies in the United States and the United Kingdom have shown that stroke research is underfunded compared with coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer research despite the high clinical and financial burden of stroke. We aimed to determine whether underfunding of stroke research is a Europe-wide problem. METHODS: Data for the financial year 2000 to 2001 were collected from 9 different European countries. Information on stroke, CHD, and cancer research funding awarded by disease-specific charities and nondisease-specific charity or government- funded organizations was obtained from annual reports, web sites, and by direct communication with organizations. RESULTS: There was marked and consistent underfunding of stroke research in all the countries studied. Stroke funding as a percentage of the total funding for stroke, CHD, and cancer was uniformly low, ranging from 2% to 11%. Funding for stroke was less than funding for cancer, usually by a factor of > or =10. In every country except Turkey, funding for stroke research was less than that for CHD. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that stroke research is grossly underfunded, compared with CHD and cancer, throughout Europe. Similar data have been obtained from the United States suggesting that relative underfunding of stroke research is likely to be a worldwide phenomenon.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed2003

Post intoxicative therapeutic immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoproteine (MOG 35-55) suppresses spontaneous regeneration of dopaminergic neurons injured with 1-methyl-4 phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropiridine (MPTP).

The pathological process of neurodegeneration is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction that is believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of autoimmune reaction induced by post-traumatic vaccination with myelin self-antigen on spontaneous regeneration of dopaminergic neurons, injured with MPTP. C57BL mice were intoxicated with 40 mg/kg MPTP and seven days later immunized with MOG 35-55 peptide in CFA. On the 7th day following intoxication, the MPTP treated mice showed decrease of the dopamine level by 63% as compared to the control mice. However, starting from the 14th day following intoxication, a spectacular increase of dopamine content was observed. Immunization with MOG resulted in a statistically significant reduction of the increase in striatum as compared to non-immunized animals, and was lower by 23%, 17% and 15% on days 14, 28 and 50, respectively. Our results show suppressive influence of autoimmune reaction induced after injury on regeneration of dopamine cells intoxicated with MPTP.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Cognitive functioning in neurologically symptomatic and asymptomatic forms of Wilson's disease.

We sought to determine the pattern of cognitive deficits in patients with Wilson's disease (WD) with different type and degree of neurological involvement, and to interpret the findings in relation to the underlying pathology. A total of 67 WD patients were examined with a neuropsychological test battery assessing different aspects of cognitive processing. The patients were subdivided into three groups: neurologically asymptomatic, neurological with pure basal ganglia lesions, and neurological with more extensive pathology. The results were compared with 50 matched healthy controls. Patients with a neurological form of WD showed a mild but definitive impairment in all cognitive functions. In contrast, the neurologically asymptomatic patients showed no deficits when compared with normal controls. Multifocal pathology was associated with more severe cognitive deficits than selective basal ganglia lesions but did not contribute significantly to memory impairment. A range of cognitive functions, including frontal-executive ability, aspects of memory and visuospatial processing, are affected in the neurologically symptomatic WD patients. In contrast, no subliminal deficits were observed in the asymptomatic patients. The lesions of the basal ganglia seem to be of central importance in explaining the symptomatology.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Advanced atherosclerosis of the aortic arch is uncommon in ischemic stroke: an autopsy study.

Aortic and carotid atherosclerosis are known risk factors for stroke. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta and carotid arteries in subjects dying of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and to determine whether aortic atherosclerosis was associated with any specific ischemic stroke subtype. Autopsies were performed in 207 patients who died during hospitalization for stroke from 1993 to 1997. Subjects ranged in age from 37 to 98 years, mean 74.45 years (SD +/- 11.84). There were 132 women and 75 men. Stroke was hemorrhagic in 66 and ischemic in 141. Advanced atherosclerotic lesions were less frequent in the aortic arch (1.9%) than in the thoracic aorta (51.7%), abdominal aorta (60.4%), or carotid arteries (23.7%). Moderate atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic arch were observed more frequently in ischemic (75.2%) than hemorrhagic stroke (56.1%, p=0.026). Advanced or moderate atherosclerotic lesions in any part of the aorta did not predict ischemic stroke subtype. Advanced atherosclerosis of the carotids was more common in ischemic stroke (28.4%) than hemorrhagic stroke (13.6%, p < 0.05). Advanced atherosclerosis of the carotids was more common in stroke due to atherothrombosis (51.4%) than in stroke due to cardiac embolism (22.1%) or stroke of unknown etiology (5.6%). The low frequency of advanced atherosclerotic lesions of the aortic arch suggests that this disease process is not a common mechanism of stroke.

Aged↗