[Relation between metabolism of trace elements and the antioxidant defense system in chronic nephropathies]. / Vztah medzi metabolizmom stopových prvkov a obranným antioxidacným systémom pri chronických nefropatiách.

BACKGROUND: Trace elements--zinc, copper and selenium are part of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GHPx). In renal diseases changes in the trace element metabolism may influence the equilibrium in the antioxidant defence system and enhance the toxic effect of reactive oxygen molecules. METHODS AND RESULTS: The authors examined in 53 children with chronic neprophathies (34 with chronic glomerulonephritis, 11 with chronic renal failure and 8 children included in a chronic dialyzation programme) zinc and selenium in blood and urine and antioxidant enzymes SOD and GHPx in red blood cells. The lowest SOD activity (737 +/- 219 U/g Hb, p < 0.01) and serum zinc concentration (12.9 +/- 3.2, p < 0.05) were found in children in the terminal stage of uraemia, GHPx was as compared with the group of healthy children elevated in all groups of sick children. In dialysed children GHPx was highest (p < 0.01) and correlated with urinary selenium concentrations (r = -0.86, p < 0.05). The SOD activity depended on the serum copper concentrations (r = 0.78, p < 0.05). The highest renal zinc and selenium excretion was recorded in patients with glomerulonephritis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis on a causal relationship between trace elements and antioxidant enzymes.

[Carnosine in patients with type I diabetes mellitus]. / Karnozín u pacientov s diabetes mellitus typu I.

Examination of carnosine in patients with diabetes mellitus type I, showed that the plasma levels of carnitine were non significantly increased compared to the levels in healthy population, while the levels in red cells were decreased Lowered levels of carnosine in red cells could point out similar deficit in other cells. Due to low levels in cells carnosine is less available for metabolic processes, like antioxidant reactions and its participation in antioxidants defense reactions is limited non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins. Therefore it should be supplemented. (Tab. 1, Fig. 1, Ref. 15.)

[Present possibilities of improving the diagnosis of glomerular erythrocyturia]. / Súcasné moznosti zlepsenia diagnostiky glomerulovej erytrocytúrie.

Examination of glomerular erythrocyturia which proved useful in the differential diagnosis of haematuria faces in practice two serious problems--the necessity to examine fresh urine and differences as regards the interpretation of criteria of glomerular erythrocyturia (from 10 to 80%). The authors examined therefore the morphology of erythrocytes in urine of 65 children with different causes of haematuria, incl. 35 patients with different forms of glomerulonephritis. They found that adding 25 mg thimerasol to 10 ml urine preserves urinary elements, incl. morphologically altered red cells for a period of 72 hours or longer. This makes it possible to examine the red cells under a phase microscope after dealing with ambulatory patients. Among various morphological forms of red cells in urine of 31 patients with glomerulonephritis in urine acanthocytes were found in a concentration above 5%, and in the majority above 20%. Acanthocyturia above 5% was not present only in 4 patients with glomerulonephritis, whereby all four suffered from mild erythrocyturia. The authors consider therefore acanthocyturia above 5% as the most reliable evidence of glomerulonephritis, in case of erythrocyturia above 10 Ery in the visual field. The criteria of acanthocyturia in children are thus lower than in adults.

[Are dietetic and non-immunologic therapies becoming deciding factors in the treatment of autoimmune diseases?]. / Stáva sa diétna a neimunologická liecba rozhodujúcim faktorom v terapii autoimúnnych chorôb?

Authors call attention to non-immunological therapy and its determining role for fate and final prognosis in patients with autoimmune diseases. A stress importance of the timely and rigorous antihypertensive and antiinfectious treatment. From the dietary measures is best known favourable effect of the low protein diet and pharmacological limitation of the phosphorus supply. A new therapeutical aspect is the influence of the lipids on the autoimmune diseases activity and efficiency of the omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. Non-immunological methods of the treatment are particularly valuable for the general practitioners and pediatricians, because enable them essentially to influence the course of the autoimmune diseases.