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Biomedical subjects

W Kopeć

Publications and source records attributed to W Kopeć.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

A case of severe anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-positive crescentic glomerulonephritis and asymptomatic gastric cancer.

A 64-year-old man presented with symptoms of systemic immune disease dominated by rapidly progressive glomerular injury with highly positive ANCA of cytoplasmic distribution. The clinical course was characterized by dependence upon the intensity of immunosuppression, which has finally led to development of fungal septicaemia and death. The post mortem examination revealed occult gastric cancer with regional lymphatic involvement and crescentic glomerulonephritis, while failing to substantiate clinical findings of systemic vasculitis. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of ANCA-positive glomerulonephritis accompanying visceral malignancy and as such raises the question of whether it results from a simple coincidence or a causal relationship.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Chemiluminescence of neutrophils in patients with glomerulonephritis treated with methylprednisolone.

The effect of high dose methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol, Up John) (1000 mg) on chemiluminescence (CL) of peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with various primary glomerulopathies was determined. Contrary to the well-established influence of corticosteroids on in vitro suppression of leukocytic chemiluminescence, our studies disclose a remarkable enhancement of neutrophil chemiluminescent activity in patients receiving pulse methylprednisolone infusion. Subsequent administrations of the drug did not result in any significant change of the analysed parameters. Increased chemiluminescence returned to the pretreatment values within approximately seven days. A possible explanation for the observed phenomenon is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Activity of erythrocyte complement receptors class 1 in various kidney diseases].

UNLABELLED: The activity of the erythrocyte complement receptors type 1 (CR1) was measured in four groups: a control group--42 healthy persons, 18 patients with lupus nephritis (morphologic types: membranous, membranoproliferative, and proliferative), 16 patients with primary idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis (GN), 20 patients with primary idiopathic membranoproliferative GN, and 23 chronic haemodialysis patients, in 20 of them the cause of the end-stage renal failure was primary idiopathic GN. The erythrocyte CR1 activity was determined by the immune adherence test. In the groups of the lupus nephritis and of the end-stage renal failure was observed a significant drop in erythrocyte CR1 activity. On the contrary the patients with primary idiopathic membranous and membranoproliferative GN exhibited a significantly greater erythrocyte CR1 activity than the normals. CONCLUSIONS: 1. The genetic predisposition to primary idiopathic GN is not reflected on the level of the erythrocyte CR1 system, what is distinct from the situation occurred in lupus nephritis, despite similarities in their immunopathogenesis. 2. The development of the end-stage renal failure in the course of primary idiopathic GN shows a inhibitory effect on erythrocyte CR1 activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Activity of type 1 erythrocyte complement receptors in uremia and after renal transplantation.

The effect of uremia on the activity of the erythrocyte complement receptors type 1 (CR1), and the changes occurring after renal transplantation, were studied. The complement receptor activity was measured by immune adherence utilizing a rosette technique. Patients with terminal kidney failure on the hemodialysis program exhibited significantly lower values of the erythrocyte CR1 activity in comparison with healthy controls. The circulating immune complexes did not affect erythrocyte CR1 activity. After successful renal transplantation, irrespective of the immunosuppressive program used, a significant increase in erythrocyte CR1 activity appeared, similar to control group values. However, the activity of erythrocyte CR1, in the graft recipients under cyclosporin A treatment, was significantly higher than in the patients receiving azathioprine with prednisone. Therefore, it is possible that cyclosporin A, transported in the erythrocytes, modifies the complement receptor function.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Bactericidal activity of human sera with a physiologic or genetic defect of the complement system.

The serum of patient suffering genetically conditioned C2 defect showed a weak bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Out of 23 tested strains one was susceptible comparing with 16 ones sensitive to normal human serum. The normal cord serum exerted a bactericidal effect on 8 strains. All sera were found to be active against Salmonella strains tested.

Blood Bactericidal Activity↗
PubMed1985

Activity of circulating monocytes in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.

Monocytes of 95 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (ch.g.) tested in vitro demonstrated characteristics of activation in proliferative, and of functional suppression in mesangiocapillary glomerulopathy. Fc and C3 receptor function studied by rosette assay and metabolic potential measured by the NBT reduction test constituted result patterns. Receptor tests were supplemented with their counterparts after monocyte triggering with heat-inactivated sera and in case of NBT assay - stimulation with zymosan. Membranous, minimal change, mesangial and focal glomerulonephritis monocytes presented less specific configurations of data than those of proliferative and mesangiocapillary, with a uniform increase of trypsin-resistant Fc receptor activity. There was no appreciable correlation between the presence of circulating immune complexes (c.i.c.) in patient sera and parameters tested. The mesangiocapillary "suppression pattern" suggests mononuclear phagocyte defect in this glomerulopathy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Activity of helix: destabilizing protein in lymphocytes of patients with glomerulopathies and with chronic renal insufficiency.

The aim of this work was to determine the activity of helix-destabilizing protein (HD-protein), which is indispensable in basic genetic processes such as DNA replication, genetic recombination and transcription, in lymphocytes of patients with different morphological types of glomerulonephritis and with chronic renal insufficiency, treated conservatively and by maintenance hemodialysis. The estimation was done on 44 patients with glomerulonephritis and on 20 patients with chronic renal insufficiency. The control group consisted of 20 healthy individuals. The investigations prove the fact that in human lymphocytes helix-destabilizing protein occurs, and its quantity enables us to determine its activity in the diseased and healthy state. Measurement of HD-protein activity seems to be a good marker of the altered lymphocyte function. Especially high HD-protein activity was noticed in cases of acute glomerulonephritis, lupus glomerulonephritis and in the active forms of chronic glomerulopathies. Generally, the tested parameter showed a positive correlation with the activity of the glomerulonephritic process. In lymphocytes of patients with chronic renal insufficiency treated conservatively, a greater activity of helix-destabilizing protein occurred than in the control group. Lymphocytes from patients with chronic renal insufficiency, treated with repetitive maintenance hemodialysis, did not reveal significant differences in HD-protein activity, determined directly before hemodialysis and after its completion, in comparison to the control group of healthy individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Possible decrease of nonspecific immunity in wounds contaminated by copper ore minerals].

Continuing the research--started in 1973--on the influence of wounds contamination by copper ore minerals upon the living organism the authors conducted experiments on 30 animals. The experiments covered: phagocytic and metabolic activity of peripheral blood phagocytes, oxidoreductase activity of granulocytes, lysosyme level in sera of the examined animals and total hemolytic activity of the complement. The experiments demonstrated--since the 20th day after their start--a considerable decrease in phagocytic and metabolic activity of peripheral blood granulocytes in the animals with wounds contaminated by copper ore minerals. Those disturbances may decrease nonspecific cellular immunity of the organism, which entails organism's susceptibility to infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Humoral immunity to streptococcal antigen in acute and chronic glomerulonephritis.

A study was carried out to verify the clinical usefulness of the elaborated method for the measurement of antistreptococcal antibody in revealing the streptococcal etiology of glomerulonephritis. In 158 patients with glomerulonephritis antistreptococcal antibody (ASA), circulating immune complexes (CIC) and haemolytic activity of the complement were measured. On the basis of immune complex formation it has been concluded that streptococcal infection may cause glomerulonephritis. Serial determinations of ASA and CIC are helpful in establishing the streptococcal etiology of glomerulonephritis and in monitoring the course of the disease.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1978

Detection of circulating immune complexes in patients with glomerulonephritis.

143 patients were evaluated clinically on the basis of the renal biopsy. Three methods for detecting circulating immune complexes (CIC) were employed: complement consumption test, inhibition of erythrocyte antibody IgG-EA rosette forming test and optical density of 4% PEG precipitated sera. CIC were present in the sera of all patients with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (2 weeks after streptococcal infection of the throat). In a group of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis the highest values in positive results were observed in lupus nephritis, chronic proliferative glomerulonephritis and chronic submicroscopic glomerulonephritis. These results were compared with levels of total hemolytic complement, C3, C4 components and serum immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM).

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗