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Biomedical subjects

Z Duraković

Publications and source records attributed to Z Duraković.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Sudden death due to physical exercise in the elderly.

Physical exercise has a beneficial effect to the humans. Sudden death in healthy persons engaged in physical exercise is extremely rare since healthy heart is protected from complications. The records of five elderly men who died during or immediately after exercise in the period between 1988-2001 in our region have been given, out of 23 men (and no one woman) aged 14-68 who died due to physical exercise in that time. They have been engaged in tennis, jogging and swimming recreatively. In all of them coronary heart disease has been found by the forensic autopsy. Only one has had arterial hypertension, symptoms of chest pain few years before accident and acute myocardial infarction has been found. The other four have been without symptoms. In three of them myocardial scars have been found of past myocardial infarctions. In all of them the thickness of the left ventricle wall was 15 mm or more (from 15 to 25 mm). It seems that the thickness of the wall of the left ventricle increases cardiovascular risk in persons without symptoms. In Croatia about 7% of the whole population are engaged in recreation. In this population 13% are elderly: 40,950. The reported five deaths due to recreational physical exercise in the elderly reached 1/114,660 persons every three years, or 1/573,300 persons during fourteen years.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Sudden death due to recreational exercise in physicians.

In a period from 1982-2002 we noticed five dead among Croatian male physicians aged 34 to 67, during or after recreational physical exercise: swimming, soccer, tennis and jogging. Three of them who were autopsied, have been non-smokers and without previous symptoms. In all coronary heart disease was found. The left descending anterior artery was stenotic in one and occluded in two, with myocardial scars in one. An acute myocardial infarction was found in none of them, and in two-left ventricular hypertrophy 15 and 18 mm. We could not find a recent medical record in those physicians including a clinical finding and other findings. Two physicians who were not been autopsied, had possible an alcohol cardiomyopathy. Both of them were smokers. In Croatia about 7% of the whole population are engaged in recreational physical exercise. In a period of twenty years (1982-2002) we noticed 43 sudden and unexpected deaths during or immediately after physical exercise: it reached 43/6,300,000 sudden death in Croatia in twenty years or 2.15/315,000 yearly among persons engaged in physical exercise. In Croatia there are 4,957 male physicians-specialists, and a rate of sudden cardiac death during or immediately after physical exercise in this group reached 5/99,140 in 20 years or 1/19,828 every four years. A medical check up before recreational physical exercise is essential including a clinical examination, a serum concentration of risk factors and other risk factors, an electrocardiogram at rest, a stress test and echocardiography in clinical indication, as are medical controls over persons taking exercise. This study shows that medical evaluation is important because of the underlying problems such as sudden death during exercise. In non-trained persons and in the elderly a physical exercise should be recommended of a gradually intensity, which could not exceed 6 METs.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Body composition and functional abilities in terms of the quality of professional ballerinas.

The objective of this research was to determine the variability of the sample of professional ballerinas in the space of characteristics of their body composition and some functional characteristics according to the requirements of their roles in ballet. The sample of examinees was comprised of 30 professional ballerinas, members of the Croatian National Theatre Ballet (15 soloists and 15 members of the corps de ballet). The data showed that the soloists were characterized by a significantly larger knee diameter, significantly lower thickness of skin folds on the trunk and the lower fat body mass percentage, as well as by greater grip strength. Aerobic capacity was only moderately more developed than in fit people who participated in physical exercising because of recreational reasons, and there were no differences between soloists and the members of the corps.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism, lipids, and apolipoproteins in menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy.

This study investigated the frequency of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotypes, concentrations of total cholesterol (T-C), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein Lp (a), Established Risk Factor (ERF) ratio (total cholesterol/HDL-C), apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, apoBand apoE in 134 menopausal women aged 49.62 +/- 4.83 on oral hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (2 mg 17 beta estradiol plus 1 mg norethisterone acetate/day), during (mean +/- SD) 15.77 +/- 9.94 months. ACE genotypes of 134 menopausal women showed DD genotype in 48 (36%), ID genotype in 59 (44%), and II genotype in 27 (20%) women, with the mean body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) of 26.34 +/- 4.02, systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) of 145.71 +/- 23.32, diastolic blood pressure of 95.28 +/- 12.88, pulse rate of 77.76 +/- 13.81, positive family history of myocardial infarction (MI) (23%) and stroke (22%); 26% were smokers and 6% consumed alcohol regularly. The mean levels of TC (mmol/l) were 5.72 +/- 1.25, TG (mmol/L) 1.63 +/- 0.82, HDL-C (mmol/L) 1.15 +/- 0.29, LDL-C (mmol/L) 3.98 +/- 1.31, lipoprotein Lp(a) (g/L) 0.16 +/- 0.24, ERF ratio 5.35 +/- 1.90, apolipoproteins (g/L): A-I 1.83 +/- 0.39, A-II 0.57 +/- 0.12, apoB 0.92 +/- 0.31, and apoE 0.08 +/- 0.04. The highest mean levels of T-C 5.89 +/- 1.40, TG 1.67 +/- 0.96, LDL-C 4.15 +/- 1.60, lipoprotein Lp(a) 0.19 +/- 0.25) apoB 0.95 +/- 0.32 and ERF ratio 5.46 +/- 2.24 were found in ID genotype, while in DD genotype HDL-C 1.11 +/- 0.28 and apo A-I 1.78 +/- 0.34 were lowest. In II genotype, the levels of apo A-II 0.56 +/- 0.11 were lowest and of apoE 0.09 +/- 0.05 highest. According to DD, ID and II genotypes and lipid, lipoprotein Lp(a), ERF ratio and apolipoprotein concentrations, there were no statistically significant differences between groups. ERF ratio in DD genotype showed a positive correlation with TG (r = 0.59) and LDL-C (r = 0.57), a slight positive correlation with apoB (r = 0.40), and a strong negative correlation with HDL-C (r = -0.73). ERF in ID genotype showed a strong negative correlation with HDL-C (r = -0.73), strong positive correlation with TG (r = 0.70), and T-C (r = 0.58), and slight positive correlation with LDL-C (r = 0.36) and alcohol abuse (r = 0.34). In II genotype, ERF ratio showed a strong positive correlation with LDL-C (r = 0.73), T-C (r = 0.70) and apoE (r = 0.58), slight positive correlation with apoB (r = 0.46) and TG (r = 0.36), and negative correlation with HDL-C (r = -0.54). Matrix correlation of DD genotypes showed the highest positive correlation between T-C and LDL-C (r = 0.91) and apoE (r = 0.45), and negative correlation between HDL-C and ERF ratio (r = 77), and LDL-C and ERF ratio (r = 0.55). In ID genotype, T-C showed a strong positive correlation between LDL-C (r = 0.75) and ERF ratio (r = 0.63), TG and ERF ratio (r = 0.73), and negative with HDL-C (r = 0.53). In genotype II, T-C showed a strong positive correlation between LDL-C (r = 0.96), ERF ratio (r = 0.71), apoB (r = 0.66) and apoE (r = 0.46). LDL-C correlated positively with ERF ratio (r = 0.72), apoB (r = 0.61) and apoE (r = 0.48). These findings indicated the frequency of ACE genotypes to differ within the group of menopausal women. Analysis of ACE genotypes showed ID genotype to be most common among menopausal women. This result indicated their intermediate risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI). It has been well established that an increased risk of MI is associated with high frequency of DD genotype, and a low risk with high frequencies of II genotype. In addition to ACE polymorphism analysis, assessment of lipid, apolipoprotein, and lipoprotein Lp(a) concentrations, and of ERF ratio provides further important parameters for better understanding of the risk factors for CDH in women. In the present study, assessment of the genetic, metabolic and environmental markers pointed to an intermediate risk of CHD in menopausal women on HRT, although the mechanism underlying the disease is not clear and well understood yet.

Apolipoproteins↗
PubMed2000

Electrocardiographic changes in ex-prisoners of war released from detention camps.

The aim of the study was to determine whether and to what extent changes in the electrocardiograms occurred in released prisoners of war (POWs) from Serbian detention camps and whether the frequency of occurrence differed from similar changes in a control group. An electrocardiogram was recorded and medical examinations conducted on 182 randomly selected ex-POWs. The subjects were male with a mean age of 35.8 +/- 11.0 years, age range 18-65 years and the average length of imprisonment 164.5 +/- 87.1 days. The electrocardiograms were analysed according to the Minnesota côde. The following changes were frequently found: postinfarction Q-wave in 3.3%, control 1.1% (not significant), ST-segment depression horizontal or descendent in 14.3% (controls 3.8%, P < 0.01), particularly S-T segment depression of up to 0.5 mm in 12.1% (controls 2.2%, (P < 0.01), total negative T-wave in 7.1% (control group 3.3%, not significant), total arrhythmia 18.1% (controls 7.1%, P < 0.01), particularly ventricular premature beats in 2.2% (controls 0.5%, not significant), incomplete left bundle-branch block 2.2% (not registered in the control group), complete left bundle-branch block in 0.5% (not registered in the control group), sinus tachycardia in 12.1% (controls 6.6%, not significant), sinus bradycardia 3.3% (not registered in the control group) and microvoltage QRS complex in 11.5% (controls 0.5%, P < 0.001). The results of this study confirm that changes in the electrocardiograms of the POWs released from Serbian detention camps were far more frequent than in the controls.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Urban hypothermia and hyperglycemia in the elderly.

From December 1993 to March 1999 we treated 18 elderly patients aged 66-87 years, suffering from urban hypothermia: 11 women and 7 men. Ten patients suffered from moderate hypothermia (rectal temperature 32-35 degrees C), and eight from severe hypothermia (rectal temperature < 32 degrees C). Regarding consciousness, in the group suffering from moderate hypothermia, 3 were somnolent and 6 in various degrees of comatose states. In the group suffering from severe hypothermia, 3 patients were somnolent or soporous and 5 in comatose states of various degrees. Values of arterial blood pressure in the group with moderate hypothermia was normal in one, in 3 arterial hypotension was observed and 6 were in a state of shock. In the group with severe hypothermia, 3 presented arterial hypotension and 5 were in a state of shock. In the group with moderate hypothermia the blood glucose level was elevated in six: 9.3-10.2-10.7-17.9-21.3-99.0, and in one patient the blood glucose level was low: 2.3 mmol/L, in correlation with hypoglycemic coma. In the group with severe hypothermia in all eight patients the values were elevated: 6.7-7.4-7.6-8.7-9.1-11.2-12.4-17.9 mmol/L.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

The usefulness of biochemical bone markers in predicting the response of hormone replacement therapy in perimenopausal cigarette smoking healthy women.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of orally administered combined sequential estradiol (2 mg 17 beta estradiol) with progestin (1 mg norethisteron acetate) daily during ( +/- SD) 15.34 +/- 13.89 months on bone markers in perimenopausal cigarette smoking women. The control group consisted of cigarette smoking perimenopausal women without hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The following biochemical bone markers were analyzed in hormone replacement users (N = 35) and non-users (N = 28): serum total calcium (Ca), total alkaline phosphatase (ALP), procollagen I C-terminal propeptide (PICP), cros-linked carboxyterminal collagen I telopeptide (ICTP) and osteocalcin (OC). When we compared the results of bone markers in the cigarette smoking current users and non cigarette smoking non-users, we found statistically significant lower levels of bone formation markers, ALP and OC, and lower level of bone resorption marker; ICTP in users than in non-users. In perimenopausal cigarette smoking women on HRT lower levels of new biological markers reflected less intensive bone remodelling and probable decrease in bone loss than in non-users. These results indicate that the measurement of biological bone markers are useful to identify risk women for osteoporosis who may have special benefit from the treatment with hormone replacement therapy, even when they smoke.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1999

The corrected Q-T interval in the elderly with urban hypothermia.

During winter time in the period from 1993 to 1998, 18 elderly patients: 11 female and 7 male aged 65-88 years, were treated because of hypothermia. Rectal temperature on admission was 20-34.5 degrees C. Ten patients suffered from moderate hypothermia (35-32 degrees C), and eight suffered of severe hypothermia (< 32 degrees C). Arterial hypotension was recorded in 7, and shock in 11 patients. In all of them, and in 18 controls, an electrocardiogram was analyzed with the special reference to the corrected Q-T interval. Decompensated metabolic acidosis was observed in 7/8 patients with severe hypothermia and in 4/10 with moderate hypothermia. Among patients with moderate hypothermia, sinus tachycardia was present in 2, sinus bradycardia in 2, idioventricular rhythm in 2 and atrial fibrillation in 4/10 patients. In patients with severe hypothermia, sinus tachycardia was present in 2, sinus bradycardia in 3, idioventricular rhythm in one, and atrial fibrillation in 2/8 patients. In moderate hypothermia Osborn's or Tomaszewski's J wave was present in 7/10, and it only appeared in 3/10 patients; in severe hypothermia it was present in 6/8 and only appeared in 2/8 patients. The corrected Q-T interval in the group with hypothermia ranged 0.450-0.688 s, in the control group 0.343-0.444 s. The X minimum (s) in the group with hypothermia was 0.508 +/- 0.079, in the control group it was 0.371-0-139 s, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The X maximum (s) in the group with hypothermia was 0.576 +/- 0.067 s, in the control group 0.390 +/- 0.019 s, and the difference was also statistically significant (p < 0.0001). In both groups the most significant prolongation of the corrected Q-T interval in the majority of patients was found in anteroseptal leads. The dispersion of the corrected Q-T interval in the group with hypothermia was 87.19 +/- 28.44 ms, in the control group it was 32.06 +/- 8.94 ms, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Hypothermia and acute renal failure in the elderly.

During 1993-1998, in winter time 14 elderly patients: 8 female and 6 male aged 65-88, were treated because of hypothermia. Rectal temperature on admission was 20-34.9 degrees C. Sopor was present in 2 and various grades of coma were present in 10 patients. Arterial hypotension was recorded in 5, and shock in 9 patients. Increased serum creatinine level was found in 8 patients. The mean rectal temperature in the whole group was 31.3 degrees C +/- 4.7, ranging from 20.0 to 34.9 degrees C, and the mean serum creatinine level was 172.2 +/- 93.5, in range of 66.0 to 360.0 mumol/L. Negative correlation between those two parameters was found: r = -0.572. In 2 of them parameters of renal failure were analyzed: urine sodium concentration, creatinine urine/plasma ratio, urine osmolality, urine/plasma osmolality ratio, renal failure index and fractional excretion of filtered sodium. In one of the patients all parameters were within the range of functional oliguria, in an other the urine sodium concentration serum showed acute renal failure, but all other findings showed borderline values between functional oliguria and acute renal failure. Twelve out of 14 patients died within 1-216 hours from admission.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1997

Does arterial hypotension due to cardiogenic shock in older patients lead to functional oliguria or to acute renal failure?

OBJECTIVES: Reports indicate some differences in the outcome of prolonged arterial hypotension due to cardiogenic shock: acute renal failure in older and more often functional oliguria in younger patients. The aim of the study is to analyze prolonged hypotension due to acute myocardial infarction in older and younger patients and to answer the question: does prolonged hypotension, due to acute myocardial infarction, lead to acute renal failure or to functional oliguria in older patients. METHODS: During a 10-year observation, a study of 11 older (> 65 years) and 7 younger patients (< 65 years), suffering from acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, is presented: clinical data and laboratory: diuresis, sodium in urine, creatinine urine/plasma ratio, urine osmolality, osmolality urine/plasma ratio, renal failure index and fractional excretion of filtered sodium. RESULTS: In 7 older and 5 younger patients, natriuresis indicated acute renal failure. The ratio of creatinine in urine and plasma in 3 older and 5 younger indicated functional oliguria; in 3 older and 1 younger, acute renal failure; and in 5 older and 1 younger, borderline values. In 7 older and 2 younger, the values of urine osmolality were in the range of functional oliguria and, in 4 older and 5 younger, borderline values between those two parameters, as the osmolality quotient in urine and plasma. The values of the renal failure index in all older and younger patients was lower than 3.0 (in 6 older and 3 younger, lower than 1.0) indicated functional oliguria, as the fractional excretion of filtered sodium Of 9 older patients who died, 5 were examined by autopsy, and 3 out of 4 younger who died. All had myocardial fibrosis and scars, apart from recent myocardial infarction and coronary atherosclerosis. In 2 older, acute tubular necrosis was found while in 2 no renal changes were found. In 2 younger, no renal changes were found and in 1 showed disseminated intravascular coagulation. CONCLUSION: Acute renal failure due to cardiogenic shock in older patients is functional, or is rare renal.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1997

A prospective study of S-T segment depression in the electrocardiogram and mortality in the population.

A prospective study was carried out of all degrees of horizontal or descending depression of the S-T segment in the electrocardiogram (more than 1 mm or 0.1 mV, 0.5-0.9 mm or 0.05-0.05 mV and up to 0.5 mm or 0.05 mV) in a sample of 2414 subjects of both sexes, aged 35-54 years, (1326 females and 1088 males) in six Croatian regions on three occasions during a 13-year period: 1969, 1972 and 1982, according to the Minnesota code. S-T segment depression in the ECG was found during the first examination in 10.69% of females and 4.13% of males; during the second examination in 12.66% females and 6.24% males, and in the third examination in 19.06% females and 12.12% males. S-T segment depression of up to 0.5 mm was dominant and twice as frequent in females than in males, and the difference was significant. S-T segment in the ECG was also analyzed in a sample of 239 subjects (141 males and 98 females) who died during the period between the second and third examination, and for whom ECGs had been recorded in 1969 and 1972. In the group of females who died during the period between the first and second examination, 16.32% had all degrees of S-T segment depression, while in the group of surviving females this amounted to 10.6%. In the group of deceased males this finding was found in 4.24% of deceased and 4.13% of surviving males. In the group of females who died between the second and third examination, S-T segment depression was found in 18.36% of deceased and 12.66% of surviving females, and 10.62% in deceased males and 6.24% in surviving males (depression of 1 mm or deeper and 0.5-0.9 mm was found in 7.08% of deceased and 1.28% surviving males). The relative risk of mortality in middle-aged females with S-T segment depression of 0.5 mm or deeper, was 3.65 times higher than in females without such ECG changes, while the relative risk of mortality in males of the same age with the same finding was 5.85 times higher than in those without such ECG changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Does any correlation exist between a high plasma digoxin level and an electrocardiogram in older and younger patients?

In a group of 171 patients aged 65 to 92 years and 58 patients aged 35 to 64 years, plasma digoxin level measuring 2.5-6.2 nmol/l correlated with the clinical symptoms and the electrocardiogram. Conduction disturbances and arrhythmias as well as the P-R interval, P-T-Q index, and corrected Q-T interval in the ECG were analyzed. Clinical symptoms of hypersaturation with digitalis were present in 55.5% of the elderly and 34.4% of the younger patients. Conduction disturbances were found in 43.2% of the elderly and 20.6% of the younger patients, while arrhythmias appeared in 40.3% of the elderly and 29.3% of the younger patients: 16.3% of the elderly and 50.1% of the younger patients were without these changes. A correlation between the P-R interval and high plasma digoxin level in the elderly (p < 0.01) and younger patients (p < 0.05), as well as between the P-T-Q index and high plasma digoxin level in the elderly (p < 0.01), was found. There was no correlation between the corrected Q-T interval and high plasma digoxin level in both groups. No correlation was found between the high plasma digoxin level and serum creatinine level in both groups, or between the high plasma digoxin level and serum potassium level in both groups, although many patients had chronic renal failure. The effect of digitalis has not been shown to be a cause of specific changes in an electrocardiogram either in the elderly or in younger patients. However, the association between prolonged P-R interval, as well as changes in the P-T-Q index, and high plasma digoxin level has been found more often in the elderly than in younger patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Changes of the corrected Q-T interval in the electrocardiogram of patients with anorexia nervosa.

Thirty patients with anorexia nervosa and 30 controls had an electrocardiogram with the corrected Q-T interval. The aim of the study was to analyse the corrected Q-T interval in patients with anorexia nervosa compared with the findings in the control group, to compare the body mass index between two groups and to measure underlying dispersion of the corrected Q-T interval in each of the 12 ECG leads in both groups. All corrected Q-T intervals were measured in each of the 12 ECG leads and the longest values of three consecutive intervals were used for this analysis. The prolonged corrected Q-T interval was found in 12 out of 30 patients with anorexia nervosa (40%), with the longest mean values of 0.421 s (range, 0.334-0.500 s), and in 2 out of 30 patients of the controls (7%), with the longest mean values of 0.390 s (range, 0.343-0.444 s). The difference was statistically significant (t = 4.453, P < 0.001). Relative risk for prolongation of the corrected Q-T interval in patients with anorexia nervosa was high: 12 compared with control subjects. The longest values of the corrected Q-T interval in both groups, and the longest values of the prolonged corrected Q-T interval in both groups were observed in the anteroseptal leads of the electrocardiograms. The mean serum potassium level in the group with anorexia nervosa was 3.97 and in the control group was 4.15 mmol/l.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Analysis of patulin in apple juice].

A quantitative method for the determination of patulin in apple juice was examined. The procedure involved patulin extraction from apple juice with ethyl acetate, clean-up with column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. Fluorescent derivatives, obtained by exposure of patulin on chromatographic plates to concentrated ammonia fumes, permitted a convenient quantitative fluorodensitometric assay of patulin by means of the fluorescence quenching method. The detection limits were 200 ng of pure patulin and 100 micrograms of patulin per litre of apple juice. The recoveries of added patulin ranged from 78 to 110.4 percent, with a mean recovery of 97.8 percent.

Beverages↗
PubMed1992

The preexcitation syndrome: epidemiological and genetic study.

A sample of 4210 subjects of both sexes aged 35-54 years was examined, chosen at random from six regions of Croatia. An electrocardiogram at rest was performed in all subjects and changes analyzed by the Minnesota code. A short P-R interval together with a widening QRS complex and a delta wave was found in 0.05%, while 42 (1.0%) of the examinees had a short P-R interval, but only 0.21% were symptomatic. Three years after the first examination 0.06% of the subjects had preexcitation with a delta wave, and in one subject it appeared after three years. 0.35% of the subjects had a short P-R interval after three years but only 0.18% were symptomatic and in 22 (0.65%) it had disappeared in three years. After 13 years these subjects did not appear for an examination, and the short P-R interval did not appear in any of other subjects during this period. There were more short P-R intervals: 3.22% in females and 1.96% in males, but 0.33% only were symptomatic. Antigens of the human leukocyte group A (HLA) system were analyzed in 46 patients: the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was found in 35, while 11 had the Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome. Antigens of the HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DR locuses were determined by the microlymphocytotoxicity method. The results of the frequency of HLA system antigens were compared to the results of the control group of a Croatian population consisting of 175 people. There was an increased frequency of HLA-A9 and HLA-B5 (P = 0.026 and 0.0092) in the investigated population as a whole. The participation of HLA-A3 antigen was significantly less among patients (P = 0.03), while HLA-B14 antigen was not found in patients with preexcitation. Within 10 HLA-DR locuses, HLA-DR7 antigen was rather more frequently present, although this was not statistically significant (P = 0.173).

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Relation between helper and suppressive/cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].

In 32 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy the percentages of helper (CD4+) and suppressor (CD8+) T lymphocytes, as well as their ratio, have been analyzed. The percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes in the group with dilated cardiomyopathy was 20.62 +/- 8.27% (X +/- SD), vs. 26.38 +/- 6.19% in control group; the difference was not statistically significant. The percentages of CD4+ lymphocytes were similar in both groups, 39.55 +/- 12.86% vs. 40.52 +/- 6.59%. The CD4+/CD8+ ratio was markedly higher in the group with dilated cardiomyopathy, 2.49 +/- 2.10 vs. 1.65 +/- 0.49, but the difference was not statistically significant, probably because of great variability in the group. In the subgroup of 12 patients with possible alcoholic etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy, the values were almost identical to those of the remaining 20 patients. No correlation between echocardiographic fractional shortening of the left ventricle and any of the aforementioned values of T lymphocytes in the group of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy was found. The tendency toward decline in number of suppressor T lymphocytes is in accordance with the hypothesis that the "overreacting" inflammatory response to (viral) myocarditis might be the cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the specificity of the decline of suppressor activity in respect to the other causes of heart failure is questionable and the analysis of its significance is complex. This is due to dynamic character of immune disorders, and a considerable number of other theories considering the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease also exist. The need to perform complex studies is anticipated, including continual observation of clinical, immunologic and bioptic parameters of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Ethylene glycol poisoning treated with hemodialysis].

The paper deals with the course of illness in a patient aged 56 years who had ingested accidentally an unknown amount of alcoholic drink followed by 150 ml of 95 percent solution of ethylene glycol. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit 28 hours after the accident. The serum ethylene glycol concentration reached 14 mg/100 ml. The slow elimination of ethylene glycol during 28 hours before haemodialysis could be explained by the protective effect of ethanol which the patient had consumed before ethylene glycol. The method of extracorporeal haemodialysis was applied for four hours; the membrane surface was 1.3 m2 and blood velocity 200 ml/min. The rate of clearance of ethylene glycol and its metabolites was 110-150 ml/min. The total amount of ethylene glycol eliminated during four hours of haemodialysis came to about 5 g. Four hours from the beginning of the treatment the serum ethylene glycol concentration was not measurable. As the patient developed signs of acute renal failure the haemodialysis method was applied two more times. The patient was dismissed from hospital in good clinical condition, with normal diuresis and repaired renal function on the 13th day from admission.

Ethylene Glycol↗