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J Lukac

Publications and source records attributed to J Lukac.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and chronic giant cell hepatitis].

The authors describe a case report of a six months old boy with autoimmune hemolytic anemia and giant cell hepatitis. This is a very rare syndrome in infancy. After eleven months of intensive immunosuppressive treatment (glucocorticoids, cyclosporin A, azathioprin, intravenous immunoglobulins, cyclophosphamid) no improvement of hemolysis was observed and therefore splenectomy was indicated. 1 year after the treatment was finished the patient is in good general condition and his hematologic and biochemical parameters are physiological.

Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune↗
PubMed1999

Loss of heterozygosity of APC and DCC tumor suppressor genes in human sporadic colon cancer.

We examined 36 cases of human sporadic colon carcinoma and corresponding normal tissue samples to evaluate loss of heterozygosity at the APC and DCC tumor suppressor genes loci using restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction and variable nucleotide tandem repeat analysis. Observed informativity was 83% for APC and 75% for DCC. DNA from 6 (20%) of 30 informative tumors exhibited loss of heterozygosity at the APC locus. Loss of heterozygosity at the DCC locus was observed in 7 (26%) of 27 informative tumor DNAs. Our results support the view that malignant progression is a consequence of more than one genetic change and suggest that inactivation of APC and DCC genes plays a role in a multistep process of colon tumor progression.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1999

The expression and role of insulin-like growth factor II in malignant hemangiopericytomas.

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare soft tissue tumor originating from contractile pericapillary pericytes. To address the issue of molecular genetic events that participate in genesis and progression of hemangiopericytoma we analyzed insulin-like growth factor (IGF) II and IGF I receptor in 29 tumors collected from a human tumor bank network. Seven of these tumors were associated with severe hypoglycemia; six were retroperitoneal and one was located in the leg. Of 22 tumors tested 12 (54.5%) exhibited IGF II mRNA, while almost 90% (17 of 19) of hemangiopericytomas exhibited IGF I receptor mRNA. Sera from some patients whose tumors expressed IGF II mRNA contained elevated levels of IGF II. Removal of the tumor eliminated most of the IGF II immunoreactivity from the sera. The potential role of IGF II as a growth-promoting factor was examined on three malignant primary hemangiopericytoma cell cultures. Extracellular addition of IGF II significantly enhanced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides that specifically inhibit IGF II mRNA, at a concentration of 40 or 80 micrograms/ml, inhibited the growth of hemangiopericytoma cells significantly, by 40%. Simultaneous administration of antisense deoxyoligonucleotides to both IGF II and IGF I receptor inhibited tumor cell proliferation by even 80%. Our data suggest that tumor cells produce IGF II, and that this in turn stimulates their proliferation by autocrine mechanisms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Immunoscintigraphy with 99Tcm-labelled monoclonal anti-CEA BW 431/26 antibodies in patients with suspected recurrent and metastatic colorectal carcinoma: two-year follow-up.

The aim of this study was to evaluate immunoscintigraphy with BW 431/26 anti-CEA antibody in the follow-up of 15 patients with colorectal carcinoma. A whole-body scan followed by SPET imaging of the abdomen and pelvis was performed 4-6 and 20-24 h after the intravenous infusion of 0.6-1.0 mg of intact anti-CEA monoclonal BW 431/26 antibody labelled with 814-1110 MBq of 99Tcm. The HAMA response and serum CEA levels were determined. Immunoscintigraphic findings were verified by biopsy, radiologically and/or by 2 year follow-up. On an individual patient basis, immunoscintigraphy demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 100%, accuracy of 87%, positive predictive value of 100% and negative predictive value of 60%. Better results were achieved in the pelvic region than in the liver or in the extra-hepatic abdominal region. We evaluated 40 lesions; on an individual lesion basis, immuno-scintigraphy gave a sensitivity of 80% and an accuracy of 80%. SPET images detected significantly more lesions than whole-body planar images (P < 0.05). SPET at 20-24 h detected significantly more 'hot' lesions than at 4-6 h (P < 0.01). No correlation between CEA serum levels and immunoscintigraphy was observed (r = 0.376, P > 0.05). One of nine patients (11%) developed HAMA after immunoscintigraphy. We conclude that immunoscintigraphy with BW 431/26 antibody appears able to differentiate between tumour recurrence and scar tissue, and to evaluate liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma. Serum CEA levels appear not to influence the result of immunoscintigraphy and the HAMA response is minimal. A delayed SPET scan should be part of an immunoscintigraphic imaging protocol when 99Tcm-labelled BW 431/26 monoclonal antibody is used.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1999

Bone marrow immunoscintigraphy for the detection of skeletal metastases in patients with breast cancer.

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of bone marrow immunoscintigraphy (BMIS) for the detection of skeletal metastases in 23 patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer. All patients underwent whole-body BMIS 3-6 h after the intravenous injection of 0.20-0.33 mg of the intact anti-NCA 95 MAb BW 250/183 labelled with 259-555 MBq 99Tcm and a whole-body 99Tcm-MDP bone scan. In four patients, BMIS SPET of the lumbar spine was also performed. Serum alkaline phosphatase was determined in all patients and the level of human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) in 16. Final diagnosis was confirmed by radiology and 2 years follow-up. Compared with the 99Tcm-MDP bone scan, BMIS demonstrated better specificity (88% vs 75%) and a better positive predictive value (92% vs 85%). There were no significant differences between BMIS and the bone scan in the detection of skeletal metastases (P > 0.05). In one patient with normal planar BMIS of the lumbar spine, SPET disclosed a metastatic lesion in the bone marrow. The correlation coefficient between BMIS and bone scan and between BMIS and serum alkaline phosphatase was r = 0.688 and r = 0.483 respectively. One patient developed a minor HAMA response after BMIS. Patients with diffuse increased activity of the skull on the bone scan had a significantly higher skull to whole body ratio on BMIS (P < 0.01). Thus BMIS can improve the specificity and positive predictive value of bone scanning in the detection of skeletal metastases, with a low HAMA response. Diffuse increased activity of the skull on bone scans could be explained by bone marrow extension. SPET scanning of the spine may improve the sensitivity of BMIS.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in various oral lesions by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Nested PCR was used for the detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in specimens collected from seven different topographic sites in the oral cavity. Out of 161 patients, only 21 (13.04%) were positive. There was no correlation between H. pylori status and patient diagnosis and age. No preferential site for bacterial colonization was found in the oral cavity, nor was an association established between a bacterial presence and ulcerated versus non-ulcerated lesions. The results indicate that the oral mucosa does not appear to represent a preferred site of colonization for H. pylori. Furthermore, the evidence presented in this paper suggests that H. pylori is not pathogenic in the oral cavity, nor is it associated with common oral pathologic processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Detection and typing of human papillomaviruses by polymerase chain reaction in cervical scrapes of Croatian women with abnormal cytology.

The association between certain human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is well documented, but still unknown among Croatian women. In 1995, women between the age of 17 and 64 with cytomorphologically abnormal smears (CIN I-IV) were tested for the presence of HPV. Consensus and specific primers were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the most common types: 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33, as well as the unknown-risk HPV types (HPV X). Out of 379 specimens, 163 (43%) contained one or more HPV types. Coinfection with different HPV types in the same sample was observed in 16 cases. Beside low-risk HPV 6/11 (25.8%) the most frequently observed types were high-risk HPV types 16 (20.2%) and 31 (17.8%). Globally, the HPV positivity rate declines with age. The presence of HPV DNA significantly increased from 35.5 to 61.1% along with the severity of the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN I-IV). HPV type 6/11 was strongly associated with CIN I (33.8%), HPV type 31 with CIN II (22.9%), and HPV type 16 with CIN III (50%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Organization and work of the War Hospital in Sturba near the town of Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The work of the Croatian Defense Council (armed forces of the Croatian citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina) War Hospital at Sturba, outskirts of the town of Livno, is described. The hospital was established in the beginning of April and worked until September 1992. It provided services for the battlefield of approximately 100 km of a very difficult mountainous terrain. The hospital was situated in a concrete dugout taken from the Yugoslav Federal Army. It was well equipped and supplied exclusively by numerous donations. Medical personnel were recruited partly from local medical professionals and partly from volunteers from Croatia. During the 5-month period, 597 patients (571 soldiers and 26 civilians) were admitted. A total of 314 operations, 141 in general and 173 in regional anesthesia, were performed. None of the patients died in the hospital. There was not a single epidemic either among soldiers or civilians in the area.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Natural killer cell activity, phagocytosis, and number of peripheral blood cells in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen.

The number of leukocytes, proportion and absolute number of granulocytes, lymphocytes, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, CD16+ cells, B-lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer cell (NK) activity, and granulocyte and monocyte phagocytic functions--ingestion and intracellular killing--were determined in a group of 27 patients with ductal invasive breast carcinoma, stage I-III, before and 7 months following postsurgical telecobalt radiotherapy, divided into two subgroups, one of them receiving tamoxifen (TMX group) and the other one not receiving any further therapy (control group). In control group, proportion of all lymphocytes and CD8+ cells as well as absolute number of all lymphocytes, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+ and B lymphocytes were decreased following TCT in comparison to their pre-TCT values, while in TMX group only absolute number of all lymphocytes remained decreased following TCT. Moreover, post-TCT proportions of all and CD8+ lymphocytes as well as absolute numbers of all and CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in TMX patients were significantly increased in comparison to the same parameters in control post-TCT patients, although there was no difference between the two subgroups before TCT. At the other hand, granulocyte ingestion was decreased in post-TCT TMX patients compared to post-TCT values in control patients and NK cell activity showed a similar, although statistically not significant, tendency. It seems that TMX helps recovery of lymphocyte populations decreased by radiotherapy, probably by stimulation of cells carrying estrogen receptors, but its effects on phagocytic functions and probably NK cell activity seemed to be rather inhibitory than stimulatory.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

NATO war medicine doctrine revisited in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

NATO war medical doctrine was applied in the war in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, due to rather specific martial and organizational circumstances, the doctrine had to be modified. sometimes substantially. A medical team from the war hospital in Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina describes their work with respect to the four-echelon NATO doctrine. The team covered a relatively large and active battlefield, and treated 597 patients with 314 major surgical interventions. Due to the lack of surgeons and medical personnel in general, the second echelon concentrated on fast transportation, and the third echelon fulfilled the function of the fourth echelon, completing the surgical treatment except for 12 patients with head and spine injuries.

Bosnia and Herzegovina↗
PubMed1994

Radioimmunoscintigraphy--a new, specific procedure in nuclear oncology.

The purpose of this review is to describe in detail a new, specific, nuclear medicine imaging procedure in the field of oncology. Although the history of radioimmunoscintigraphy is not so short, the greatest advances in the realization of this idea have been made during the last two decades. The time has come for radioimmunoscintigraphy to became a standard procedure in the diagnosis of malignant as well as non-malignant diseases. Except some historical facts about the development of radioimmunoscintigraphy, this review also shows all the complexities of the problem which had to be resolved before a good idea was effectively realized. The authors have tried to present, to a reasonable extent, all problems in connection with the selection of radionuclides, antibodies, methods of labeling antibodies, and imaging procedure. In general, what interests medical professionals the most is the clinical application of radioimmunoscintigraphy as well as future development and improvements of this procedure as a step of radioimmunotherapy--a new kind of treatment in oncology.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Immunological reactivity in psoriatic arthritis.

Immunologic reactivity of patients with psoriatic arthritis and the influence of the activity of psoriatic arthritis on immunologic reactivity were analysed. The group of psoriatic arthritis patients, aged 17 to 65 years, consisted of 36 males and 13 females with confirmed diagnosis. 51 age and sex-matched volunteers served as the control group (32 males and 19 females aged 21 to 62 years). The following parameters of immunologic reactivity were analysed: number of leucocytes, percentage of the lymphocytes in peripheral blood, number and percentage of T lymphocytes with positive CD3, CD4 and CD8, number and percentage of B lymphocytes, number and percentage of B lymphocytes with surface IgG, IgA and IgM, number and percentage of large granular lymphocytes (LGL), lymphocytic transformation by phytohaemagglutinin and phagocytic index. The authors found statistically significant reduction of the number and percentage of CD4 T lymphocytes, number and percentage of B lymphocytes with surface IgG as well as significantly decreased lymphocyte transformation and phagocytic activity of peripheral granulocytes in patients with psoriatic arthritis in comparison to control group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Not Available].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Czechoslovakia↗
PubMed1982

A new proteinaceous factor participating in the rat ejaculate coagulation--identification, isolation and function.

A protein substance reacting with basic protein of rat seminal vesicle secretion, present in serum, testicular and epididymal homogenates and on unwashed spermatozoa, has been identified and isolated. The protein is partly of testicular origin, its concentration in male sera, testes and epididymides being age dependent and highest in sexually mature males. After castration, its concentration in male sera fails about 15%, to a comparable value present in female sera of the same age. The presence of this, as yet unrecognized, protein (molecular weight estimated at 163000) on epididymal spermatozoa is necessary for the in vitro coagulation of rat seminal vesicle proteins.

Aging↗
PubMed1979

Mechanism of liquefaction of the human ejaculate. I. Changes of the ejaculate proteins.

The spontaneous liquefaction of the human ejaculate in vitro was studied by macroscopic inspection, disc electrophoresis of the ejaculate proteins, free amino acid and nitrogen determinations and by electron microscopy. Liquefaction occurred in three phases. Phase 1 was characterized by the macroscopic solubilization of the gelatinous material and by disappearance of its granular ultrastructure. Zn++, Hg++ and Cu++ completely inhibited the first step of the liquefraction, which could be reversed by Na2EDTA. The factor(s) involved is most probably a proteolytic enzyme(s) which is tightly incorporated into the gelatinous material. In Phase 2 of liquefaction solubilized proteins were degraded to peptides and in Phase 3 these peptides were degraded to amino acids. Factor(s) responsible for these two steps of liquefaction could be removed by washing the gelatinous material.

Adult↗