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Biomedical subjects

D Nowak

Publications and source records attributed to D Nowak.

At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Vaccination status of medical students in munich - results of a questionnaire survey].

BACKGROUND: Vaccinations, e. g., against hepatitis B, are recommended for health care workers in order to minimize the risk of occupational infections. While medical students come into contact with patients early in their medical education, sufficient vaccination is not routinely checked during their training. Hence, we wanted to assess the prevalence of medical students (fourth year) not sufficiently vaccinated against occupationally relevant infectious diseases (hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, German measles, poliomyelitis) at the two medical schools in Munich. METHODS: One hundred and forty nine students of the medical school at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University and 89 students of the medical school at the Technical University completed a standardized questionnaire on demographic data, vaccination status and personal attitude towards vaccinations. RESULTS: Nine percent of the students at the Ludwig-Maximilans-University and one percent of the medical students at the Technical University reported not to have been vaccinated against hepatitis B. The relative frequency of students not vaccinated against hepatitis A was higher and did not differ between the medical schools (LMU: 35.9 %, TU: 40.5 %; 95 % Confidence Interval for the difference: -17.7-+ 8.5 %). The prevalence of vaccination especially against German measles among women was unsatisfactory. Individual vaccination status of the students seemed to be related to their personal attitude towards vaccinations. CONCLUSION: In order to increase the prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination among medical students they should be informed more intensively about the free of charge vaccination early during their education, e. g., before the beginning of their medical training.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum leptin concentration in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential effect of serum leptin levels in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related wasting. METHODS: Morning serum leptin levels of 94 randomly chosen HIV-infected patients were measured and correlated with age, sex, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), routine blood chemistries (SMA 18), complete blood cell count, HIV viral load, and CD4/CD8 ratio. RESULTS: The mean serum leptin level was 7.0 +/- 6.9 ng/mL. Leptin levels were significantly higher in the 38 female patients than in the 56 male patients (10.0 +/- 8.4 ng/mL versus 5.0 +/- 4.9 ng/mL; P<0.001). Leptin levels were positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.71; P<0.05). The correlation of leptin levels with BMI was improved when the results were analyzed stratified by the sex of the patients (r = 0.74 for female patients; r = 0.81 for male patients). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the serum leptin levels in HIV-infected patients with BMI between 18 and 25 kg/m 2 were comparable to leptin levels in lean, healthy subjects. Leptin distribution was positively correlated with BMI, as expected. These data do not support the hypothesis for a major role of serum leptin in HIV-related wasting.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Infrared spectrum analysis of some flavonoids.

Infrared spectra of some flavonoids and quercetin and morin sulfonic derivatives were recorded. The spectral data of sodium salts of quercetin and morin sulfonic acids were interpreted as indicating the near position valency band of the carbonyl group in relation to its position in quercetin and morin. The distinct shift of this band in quercetin-5'-sulfonic acid (QSA) may probably be a result of the occurrence of an intramolecular proton transfer from the sulfonic -SO3H to the oxygen of -C=O group.

Flavonoids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Combination of methotrexate and prednizone decreases circulating concentrations of interleukin 1 beta and Interleukin 6 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Poor correlation of cytokine suppression with clinical improvement.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of methotrexate (MTX) in combination with prednizone on cytokine levels, acute phase proteins and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBAR--an indicator of peroxidative damage to tissue lipids) in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to investigate their associations with clinical disease activity. METHODS: We measured blood concentrations of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin- 6 (IL-6), TBARs and classical clinical and laboratory indices of disease activity in 36 RA subjects before and after 3 and 6 month treatment with MTX and prednizone. Only RA subjects who stopped any disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs treatment for last 3 months were included in the study. Baseline cytokine and TBARs levels were compared with those obtained with 20 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared to controls RA subjects had elevated levels of circulating IL-1 beta (63.3 +/- 47.6 vs 13.7 +/- 7.8 pg/ml, p<0.01), IL-6 (147.2 +/- 76.5 vs 15.9 +/- 13.3 pg/ml, p<0.001) and TBARs (3.11 +/- 0.42 vs 1.34 +/- 0.45 nmol/1, p<0.001) concentrations. MTX in combination with prednizone improved patient clinical status that was accompanied by 1.96-, 1.25-, and 1.35-fold decrease in IL-1 beta, IL-6 and TBARs after 6 month treatment (p<0.001), respectively. Although, IL-1 and IL-6 revealed a few correlations with classical indices of disease activity no association was found between patient clinical status improvement and cytokine changes over 6 month treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MTX in combination with prednizone decreases blood levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 and inhibits the intensity of free radical- mediated processes in RA subjects. Monitoring of plasma concentrations of these cytokines could not predict the treatment efficacy.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ascorbic acid did not alter the content of conjugated dienes and malondialdehyde in organs of mice.

The aim of this study was to explore whether ip administration of ascorbic acid (AA) in a dose of 500 mg/kg, once a day for 3 following days, affected the content of lipid peroxidation products: malondialdehyde (MDA) and conjugated dienes (CD) in organs of mice. Injection of AA caused 2.1-, 1.3- and 1.8-fold increase in the concentration of this vitamin in liver, spleen and lungs, respectively, while the content of MDA and CD in these organs did not differ from values found in animals treated with 0.9% NaCl. It suggests that in our animal model AA did not act as a prooxidant enhancing the lipid peroxidation in various tissues.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Elevated whole blood chemiluminescence in patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is accompanied by oxidative stress that in turn may accelerate endothelium degeneration and thus disease progression. We tested whether phagocytes from SSc patients release more reactive oxygen species (ROS) and whether this release correlates with some clinical parameters. METHODS: ROS production by blood phagocytes was measured with the luminol enhanced whole blood chemiluminescence (CL). Resting and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine -induced CL (fMLP-induced CL) was measured in 30 patients with SSc and 30 healthy controls matched as to age, sex, and level of cigarette smoking. RESULTS: Resting CL and fMLP-induced CL calculated per 10(4) phagocytes present in the assayed blood sample were higher in patients with systemic sclerosis than in healthy controls (median; range, 0.88; 0.47-1.39 vs. 0.73; 0.13-1.07 aU/10(4)p and 621; 293-3522 vs. 411; 289-810 aUxs/10(4)p, p<0.02). Patients treated with cyclophosphamide and/or prednisone for 11; 3-168 months did not differ in respect to CL from those that never received the medications. Similarly, no significant differences were found between patients with limited and diffuse SSc. Resting CL correlated (p<0.05) with clinically manifested interstitial lung disease (r=0.59), single breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (r= -0.56) and serum autoantibodies titre (r= 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: Blood phagocytes from patients with systemic sclerosis, especially from those with interstitial lung disease, generate elevated amounts of ROS as assessed with CL. This confirms the presence of systemic oxidative stress in SSc patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Decreased ratio of circulatory vascular endothelial growth factor to endostatin in patients with systemic sclerosis--association with pulmonary involvement.

OBJECTIVE: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endostatin appear to be involved in development of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We undertook this study to determine ratios of serum concentrations of VEGF to endostatin in SSc patients, healthy controls, assessments between cytokines, and lung-diffusing capacity (DLCO) as lung injury measurements related to interstitial lung disease (ILD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum VEGF and endostatin levels were measured with ELISA in 28 SSc patients (16 with lcSSc) and 20-matched healthy volunteers, evaluating correlation and balance. DLCO was corrected for hemoglobin, alveolar volume, and determined with a single breath technique. RESULTS: SSc serum concentrations (median; range) of endostatin were higher than controls (107.2; 13.6-261.2 vs. 77.8; 18.0-110.4 ng/ml, p < 0.05); VEGF levels did not differ (151.2; 4.5-836.4 vs. 286.4; 23.7-708.5 pg/ml, p < 0.05). Ratios of VEGF to endostatin were 2.6 and 3.6 times lower (p < 0.05) in SSc and dcSSc in comparison to healthy subjects. There were significant negative correlations between VEGF, endostatin in SSc (r = -0.51), and controls (r = -0.57). SSc with ILD (n = 20) had similar concentrations of VEGF, endostatin, and ratios of VEGF to endostatin compared to SSc alone. No correlations were seen between DLCO, VEGF, endostatin and their ratios in the whole SSc group. Negative correlations were noted between DLCO and VEGF (r = -0.82), with DLCO and the ratio of VEGF to endostatin (-0.62) in lcSSc with ILD (n = 10). CONCLUSION: Decreased ratios of VEGF to endostatin may reflect imbalances between serum angiogenic, and anti-angiogenic activity in SSc, explaining impaired neoangiogenesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Echocardiographic evaluation of delayed outcome of artificial valve implantation in patients with aortic semilunar valve insufficiency].

An average follow-up period of 16 patients was 28 months following an implantation of the artificial aortic valve for its insufficiency. In 10 operated patients who were able to continue their occupation exercise tolerance increased by two classes, according to NYHA. Blood pressure gradient decreased significantly from 61.8 to 37.5 mmHg, cardiac volume index decreased from 639 to 602 ml/m2. Echocardiographically measured muscle mass of the left ventricle, end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, and the left atrial dimensions decreased significantly following surgery. A significance of the relation of the left ventricle volume to its mass <4 as a prognostic factor in aortic valve replacement has also been confirmed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Conjugated dienes in selected organs of mice treated with doxorubicin and 4'-epi-doxorubicin. Part I.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo the influence of doxorubicin (DOX) and its less cardiotoxic analog 4'-epi-doxorubicin (EPI) on lipid peroxidation. The content of conjugated dienes (CD) in heart, liver and lungs of Balb/c mice was measured over a 24-h period at various time-points [1.5 and 24 h] after a single intravenous injection of either DOX or EPI. A statistically significant (p < 0.01) increase in CD levels was seen in mice heart extracts 24 h after treatment with DOX. No statistically significant increase in CD content was seen in any other group of animals treated with either DOX or EPI up to 24 h. The data presented in this paper indicate that DOX, but not EPI, induces lipid peroxidation in cardiac muscle.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The influence of doxorubicin and 4'-epi-doxorubicin on lipid peroxidation in mouse heart, lungs and liver. Part II.

Influence of doxorubicin (DOX) and its less cardiotoxic analog 4'-epi-doxorubicin (EPI) on the peroxidation of cellular components was evaluated in vivo. Previous experimental work performed at our laboratory indicates that DOX, but not EPI, induces a marked increase in conjugated dienes formation (CD) in mice hearts exposed to a single intravenous dose (30 mg/kg) of that drug. Therefore, in the present study lipid peroxidation after treatment with these anthracyclines, was evaluated and compared in vivo by measuring the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in heart, liver and lungs of Balb/c mice over 48-h period at various time-points: 5, 24 and 48 h after a single intravenous injection of either DOX or EPI. A statistically significant increased formation of MDA was found after both DOX and EPI in mice heart, lung and liver homogenates. DOX caused a relatively higher increase in MDA formation than did EPI. The results obtained in this study indicate that both DOX and EPI induce peroxidation of tissue components in vivo as shown by the increase in the formation of MDA. However, only DOX induces significant increase in lipid peroxidation in cardiac muscle, as assessed by the formation of CD. The results also suggest that peroxidation of other tissue components may be responsible for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ambroxol inhibits endotoxin-induced lipid peroxidation in mice.

Administration of ambroxol (70 mg/kg ip) once a day for 3 days protected lung and heart lipids from lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 17 mg/kg)-induced oxidative stress in mice. Ambroxol as a lipid peroxidation inhibitor was almost as active as an equivalent dose of N-acetylcysteine (27.6 mg/kg), a well known antioxidant. The lung and heart levels of conjugated dienes in animals pretreated with ambroxol were 3.3- and 1.7-times lower (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) than those observed in the control group which received only buffer and subsequently LPS. These results indicate that ambroxol can sufficiently inhibit the harmful process of lipid peroxidation in vivo.

Ambroxol↗