[Combined low-power laser therapy and local infiltration of corticosteroids in the treatment of radial-humeral epicondylitis]. / Kombinacija terapije laserom niske snage i lokalne infiltracije kortikosteroida u tretmanu radijalnog epikondilitisa humerusa.

The prospective study included 32 patients with radiohumeral epicondylitis. They are by single-blind method divided into three groups: Group I (n = 11) was treated with low power laser therapy (904 nm, 5 kHz, in the dose of 1 J/cm2); Group II (n = 11) was treated with corticosteroid infiltration and group III (n = 10) was treated with combination of initial infiltration and subsequent laser therapy. The estimation of therapy effect was done by pain intensity follow-up with modified McGuill's questionnaire. The results of the first control examination, 7 days after the therapy onset, demonstrated significantly higher analgesic effect to be achieved in the group of patients treated with combination of corticosteroid infiltration and laser therapy. Similar results were noticed in the other two groups after the repeated same treatment.

Human lung cancers growing on extracellular matrix: expression of oncogenes and growth factors.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the extracellular matrix (ECM) as a model for growing human lung cancers and to study the feasibility of its application for cellular and molecular studies of tumor biology. Bovine corneal endothelial cell ECM coated dishes were evaluated as a growth substrate for tumor cultures. Growth success, morphology and oncoprotein/growth factor expression for 74 different lung cancers (adenocarcinoma, epidermoid carcinoma and small cell carcinoma) were compared after seeding fresh surgical explants onto bovine corneal endothelial cell ECM and plastic culture substrate. Nineteen out of 74 tumors (26%) plated on ECM demonstrated measurable growth. Growth on ECM was superior to growth on plastic for the lung tumors. All 19 tumor cultures showed malignant morphology and functions. They were examined under the light microscope, and in all cases pre- and post-cytology confirmed malignancy. Tumor cells seeded on ECM retained their malignant phenotype in comparison to tumors grown on plastic. Several oncoproteins (c-myc, c-Ha-ras, c-erbB-2) and growth factors/receptors (EGF, EGF-R, TGF alpha) were immunostained. These analyses were performed immediately after disaggregation of tumor cells obtained surgically and after seeding on ECM or plastic. Strong expression of oncoproteins/growth factors was detected in tumor cells immediately after surgery or when the cells were plated on ECM. On the other hand, moderate or no expression was observed in the same type of cells on plastic.

[Use of low dose lasers in physiatry]. / Primena lasera niske snage u fizijatriji.

The prospective study comprised 105 patients treated for six months in the out-patient and in-patient institutions suffering from the syndrome manifested in pain and disturbed functions due to the diseases of the nerve-muscle and bone-connective tissue systems. The group of patients with the vertebro-basilar syndrome was selected by a single-blind controlled trial while the rest constituted the group whose results were preliminary presented. Two modes of laser photobiostimulation were applied: local stimulation and stimulation of acupuncture points. Evaluation of effects were performed by following up subjective troubles, clinical examinations, laboratory analyses and in patients with the vertebro-basilar syndrome by rheoencephalography in addition. The application of the mentioned methods in different pathological states have shown positive results in 78% of patients with analgesic, spasmolytic and antiadematous effects. In patients with the vertebro-basilar syndrome disappearance of subjective troubles was followed by the improved perfusion in the vertebro-basilar system with the mean increase of the amplitude of the rheoencephalographic curve of 0.063 +/- 0.018 oms and the mean shortening of the anacrotic phase of 0.048 +/- 0.019 seconds.