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Biomedical subjects

K Bernacka

Publications and source records attributed to K Bernacka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

gamma delta-Lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis--correlation with clinical and laboratory parameters of the disease and with the treatment used.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, autoimmune disease in the pathogenesis of which T-lymphocytes are believed to play a crucial role. The aim of this work was to investigate a subpopulation of gamma delta-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with RA in the context of chosen parameters of the disease. Moreover, we studied the influence of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the number of gamma delta-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with RA. The gamma delta-lymphocytes were studied using monoclonal anti-delta 1 antibodies labelled with fluorescein (Becton Dickinson) then counted under a fluorescence microscope (Olympus). We found a significant increase in the number of gamma delta-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with RA as compared with normal controls. The highest numbers were observed in patients with RA and extraarticular manifestation of the disease. Treatment with DMARDs led to a gradual normalisation of the elevated values of gamma delta-lymphocytes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Nabumetone induces less gastrointestinal mucosal changes than diclofenac retard.

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and the effects on the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of nabumetone and diclofenac retard in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). An open, multicentre, randomised, comparative, endoscopy-blind parallel group study included 201 patients with nabumetone and 193 patients with diclofenac retard suffering from moderate to severe OA of the knee or hip joint. Twelve clinical efficacy variables were assessed and a portion of the population underwent gastroduodenoscopy. All patients exhibited significant improvement in pain severity and pain relief (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively) but there were no differences between the groups for all the efficacy variables. Eleven per cent of patients on nabumetone and 19% on diclofenac experienced GIT side-effects. Sixty-nine patients with nabumetone and 61 with diclofenac underwent gastroduodenoscopy. The differences in the mucosal grade for the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum at baseline were not significant. In the oesophagus there were significantly less changes after treatment with nabumetone (p = 0.007) than with diclofenac; there were similar findings in the stomach (p < 0.001) but the difference in the duodenum was not significant. This study indicates that nabumetone and diclofenac retard have similar efficacy in the treatment of OA, but nabumetone has significantly fewer GIT side-effects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Rapid clinical course of glomerulonephritis accompanying postinfectious reactive arthritis].

A case of 17 years old patient, hospitalized for evaluation of bilateral ankle arthritis and polyarticular arthralgia, that developed soon after upper respiratory tract infection, was described. In few weeks of hospitalization, rapid progress of glomerulonephritis in course of reactive arthritis, was observed. In spite of treatment with antibiotics, steroids and immunosuppressive agents, patient's state showed no improvement. After 3 months extracorporeal dialysis became necessary. Now patient is waiting for renal transplantation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in rheumatoid arthritis--relationship to systemic vasculitis and microvascular injury in nailfold capillary microscopy.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a membrane bound molecule that plays an important role in the pathogenic inflammatory responses observed in vasculitis. The aim of this study was to determine whether levels of soluble ICAM-1 sICAM-1) shedding into the circulation reflect the vascular injury found in nailfold capillaroscopy as well as systemic vasculitis in RA patients. We determined serum levels of sICAM-1 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 79 RA patients. Serum levels of sICAM-1 were significantly increased in RA patients compared to 30 healthy controls. RA patients with clinical signs of systemic vasculitis showed significantly higher levels of sICAM-1 than those without vascular involvement. Although no significant correlation between sICAM-1 levels and the capillaroscopy findings were found, 75% of the patients with severe vascular changes in capillaroscopy exceeded normal sICAM-1 cut off value. Serum sICAM-1 concentrations correlated significantly with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum sIL-2R, but not with the duration of RA, radiological stages, Ritchie index, age or type of treatment. These findings suggest that increased levels of sICAM-1 in serum of RA patients reflect systemic vascular involvement rather than a local vascular injury.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1996

Assessment of beta-2-microglobulin concentration in serum and urine in rheumatoid arthritis.

Assessment of beta-2-microglobulin (beta-2-M) concentration in serum and urine was made in 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The most often noticed pathology was proteinuria. We observed a significant increase of beta-2-M concentration in serum of patients without rheumatoid factor and in patients with proteinuria. In all patients the concentration of beta-2-M in urine was significantly higher than in the controls. We did not observe any influence after treatment on beta-2-M concentration. The increase of the concentration of beta-2-M may be a marker for the early damage of kidney in RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Apoptosis in autoimmune diseases.

Physiological cell death (apoptosis) is a natural mechanism for the removal of redundant and abnormal cells, in the absence of inflammation, during normal development. This review focuses on recent developments concerning connections between defective regulation of programmed cell death and aethiology of autoimmune diseases. The pharmacological manipulation of apoptosis maybe will offer new possibilities for the prevention and treatment of these illnesses.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Piroxicam and poststeroidal damage of articular cartilage.

The experiment was carried out in five groups of rats with 12 animals in each one. In three groups articular cartilage osteoarthrosis like damage was accomplished by intramuscular injection of Dexamethason once per week. The rest of animals with exception of the controls were given Piroxicam each day by gastric tube. In the group of rats receiving only Dexamethason we observed extensive destructive changes in the cartilage. In rats receiving Dexamethason and Piroxicam (mainly in the group with higher dosage) histological changes were significantly less than in the group receiving only steroid. The intensity of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) histochemical reactions were significantly higher. In the cartilage of rats receiving only Piroxicam degenerative changes were not found, and GAG contents were similar to the control group. Our results suggest an increase of GAG biosynthesis in articular cartilage after Piroxicam in experimental, poststeroidal damage.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Von Willebrand factor antigen in assessment of vasculitis in patients with connective tissue diseases.

Von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) is synthesized and secreted by endothelial cells. In the present study we tried to assess the relationship between plasma level of vWF:Ag and vascular damage in patients with vasculitis. The study was carried out on 59 patients with connective tissue diseases. Vasculitis was diagnosed by biopsies of the skin. The patients with vasculitis had a significantly elevated level of vWF:Ag; however, no significant correlation between the amount of plasma vWF:Ag and the degree of vasculitis was found. The obtained results show that the plasma level of vWF:Ag may reflect the presence of vascular, especially endothelial, damage in patients with connective tissue diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Advances in pathogenesis of anemia in rheumatoid arthritis].

The growing importance of anaemia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) let us to analyze the problems connected with etiopathology and diagnosis of this disease. The main attention was put on iron metabolism disturbances in the pathomechanism of the anaemia in RA.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗
PubMed1993

Serum alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin after surgical treatment and during postoperative clinical course of human gastric cancer.

The usefulness of alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (A1AChy) in monitoring the adequacy of surgical treatment in patients with gastric cancer was studied. In 32 patients A1AT and A1AChy serum levels were studied before and after radical or palliative surgery at regular intervals during a 3-50-month follow-up. After palliative surgery, A1AT and A1AChy concentrations were significantly higher than in patients treated radically who showed a decreasing tendency of both antiproteases. In patients with progressive disease after surgery an increase of both antiproteases was observed. A1AT and A1AChy levels in the remission group tended to decrease but the values did not normalize as compared to healthy subjects. It was suggested that the increasing levels of A1AT and A1AChy during chemotherapy after radical surgery for gastric cancer may point to the progress of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[A case of primary cardiac myosarcoma].

The case of the very rare, primary malignant neoplasm of a cardiac origin was presented. Authors discussed diagnostic difficulties and clinical symptoms of a disease.

Heart Neoplasms↗
PubMed1988

The levels of alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in the sera of patients with gastrointestinal cancers during diagnosis.

Protease inhibitors, such as alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT) and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (A1AChy) have been considered in searching for new biochemical tumor markers useful at initial diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of cancer diseases after surgery. Levels of both antiproteases in serum of 32 patients with gastric cancer and 61 patients with colorectal cancer at initial diagnosis were studied. A significant increase of A1AT and A1AChy was found in the initial stages of both cancer groups as compared to healthy blood donors. A significant correlation between A1AT and A1AChy serum level and cancer stages was observed. The antiprotease serum concentrations progressively increased with increasing severity of gastric and colorectal cancers. The A1AChy level correlated with the histologic grade of both cancers and were higher in Grade III than in Grade II. These findings could be useful in the early diagnosis of gastric and colorectal cancers and in complex preoperative diagnostic procedure to estimate the stage of disease.

Adult↗