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1.
Rozhl Chir ; 102(5): 214-218, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37527949

ABSTRACT

Pneumoperitoneum as a finding on imaging examinations is not always a sign of acute abdomen due to gastrointestinal perforation. These findings must be viewed in connection with the clinical condition and personal history of each patient because they may also indicate a non-surgical or spontaneous pneumoperitoneum. This condition is repeatedly described but very often neglected. This paper presents the case report of a patient with non-surgical pneumoperitoneum where, despite proceeding according to the guidelines, no expected intra-abdominal pathology explaining the patient's problems was found.


Subject(s)
Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis , Pneumoperitoneum , Humans , Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis/complications , Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis/diagnostic imaging , Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis/therapy , Pneumoperitoneum/diagnostic imaging , Pneumoperitoneum/etiology
2.
Braz J Microbiol ; 53(2): 535-546, 2022 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35235193

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium capable of forming persistent biofilms that are extremely difficult to eradicate. The species is most infamously known due to complications in cystic fibrosis patients. The high mortality of cystic fibrosis is caused by P. aeruginosa biofilms occurring in pathologically overly mucous lungs, which are the major cause facilitating the organ failure. Due to Pseudomonas biofilm-associated infections, remarkably high doses of antibiotics must be administered, eventually contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. Nowadays, multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa is one of the most terrible threats in medicine, and the search for novel antimicrobial drugs is of the utmost importance. We have studied the effect of low molecular weight chitosan (LMWCH) on various stages of P. aeruginosa ATCC 10145 biofilm formation and eradication, as well as on production of other virulence factors. LMWCH is a well-known naturally occurring agent with a vast antimicrobial spectrum, which has already found application in various fields of medicine and industry. LMWCH at a concentration of 40 mg/L was able to completely prevent biofilm formation. At a concentration of 60 mg/L, this agent was capable to eradicate already formed biofilm in most studied times of addition (2-12 h of cultivation). LMWCH (50 mg/L) was also able to suppress pyocyanin production when added 2 and 4 h after cultivation. The treatment resulted in reduced formation of cell clusters. LMWCH was proved to be an effective antibiofilm agent worth further clinical research with the potential to become a novel drug for the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.


Subject(s)
Chitosan , Cystic Fibrosis , Pseudomonas Infections , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Biofilms , Chitosan/pharmacology , Humans , Pseudomonas Infections/drug therapy , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Virulence Factors
3.
Microb Pathog ; 152: 104632, 2021 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33242645

ABSTRACT

Pterostilbene (PTE) is a naturally occurring compound originally isolated from Pterocarpus spp. It has been widely used in traditional Indian medicine and later discovered to have various beneficial pharmacological effects such as antioxidant properties, hypoglycaemic or antitumor, and antimicrobial activity. This work is focused on demonstrating PTE synergistic effect with erythromycin and tetracycline to reduce their needed effective concentration for suppression of Staphylococcus epidermidis planktonic cells growth and biofilm formation. The secondary aim is to find these combinations effect on the production of its virulence factors. PTE was found to be effective in inhibition of its planktonic cells with MIC80 values 25-37.5 mg l-1. Simultaneously, it decreased the metabolic activity of biofilm cells and was especially effective on a clinical isolate (MBIC80 = 35 mg l-1) in contrast to the conventional antibiotics. In combination, PTE helped the antibiotics to overcome the tolerance of S. epidermidis biofilm cells (5 mg l-1 of each antibiotic with 49 mg l-1 PTE caused more than 85% inhibition of metabolic activity). It permeabilized cytoplasmic membrane of S. epidermidis cells and altered their surface hydrophobicity. Therefore, PTE has a great potential to enhance antibiotics action in the treatment of infections caused by this pathogen.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Biofilms , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Stilbenes , Virulence Factors
4.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol ; 36(7): 101, 2020 Jul 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32613312

ABSTRACT

Pterostilbene (PTE), a dimethylated analogue of resveratrol, mostly contained in Vitis vinifera leaves or in other plant sources is well-known for its antioxidant activity. Due to its bioavailability, low hydrophilicity and thus ability to penetrate hydrophobic biological membranes it was found to be an antimicrobial agent. These properties of PTE offer the possibility of its use in the treatment of microbial infections. The emergence of antibiotic resistance of microorganisms is often caused by their ability to form biofilm; new substances with antibiofilm activity are therefore sought. The representatives of opportunistic pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi were used for the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC50 and MIC80), minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBIC50 and MBIC80) and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBEC50 and MBEC80) of PTE and commonly used antibiotics erythromycin, polymyxin B or antimycotic amphotericin B. Total biofilm biomass was investigated by crystal violet staining, and the results were confirmed using microscopic techniques. The most significant antibiofilm action was proved for gram-positive cocci, e.g., MBEC50 of PTE for all strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis tested was 25 mg/L. By contrast, the antibiotic ERM did not exhibit antibiofilm activity in most cases. The permeabilization of cell membranes of gram-positive cocci biofilm by MBIC50 and MBEC50 of PTE was confirmed by LIVE/DEAD staining using spinning disc confocal microscopy. PTE significantly influenced the ability of gram-positive cocci to form biofilm and it effectively eradicated pre-formed biofilm in vitro; its potential for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections of Staphylococcus spp. or Enterococcus faecalis is thus apparent.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Biofilms/drug effects , Gram-Positive Cocci/drug effects , Stilbenes/pharmacology , Biofilms/growth & development , Enterococcus faecalis/drug effects , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects , Staphylococcus epidermidis/drug effects , Vitis/chemistry
5.
APMIS ; 116(12): 1058-62, 2008 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19133008

ABSTRACT

Angiogenesis is a potential prognostic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Elevated circulating levels of angiogenic factors in CLL have been repeatedly reported. Nevertheless, the issue of bone marrow neovascularization in CLL remains controversial, partly due to limited number of published studies, different methods of assessing microvessel density (MVD) and small patient cohorts. Moreover, there are very scarce data regarding the relationship of marrow angiogenesis to prognostic markers in CLL. Our objectives were: 1. To assess bone marrow MVD in CLL using two different monoclonal antibodies and a reproducible method of MVD quantification; 2. To examine the possible association of marrow MVD and clinical course, pattern of marrow infiltration, Rai stage, cytogenetic abnormalities detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and mutation status of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IgVH). MVD was higher using CD34 vs vWF antibody (p<0.0001). However, no MVD differences were detected between CLL subgroups subdivided according to the above-mentioned prognostic factors. In conclusion, MVD assessment using anti-CD34 resulted in higher MVD counts than when using anti-vWF antibody. No association of MVD with any prognostic factors was observed, possibly due to the limited patient cohort. As the need for bone marrow trephine biopsies in CLL is significantly decreasing, a standardized method of neovascularization assessment is required to enable possible multicentre studies in order to conduct larger investigations and thereby shed more light on the real clinical significance of bone marrow angiogenesis in CLL.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Bone Marrow/blood supply , Bone Marrow/pathology , Endothelium, Vascular/pathology , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology , Neovascularization, Pathologic/diagnosis , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , Antigens, CD34/analysis , Endothelium, Vascular/immunology , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence , Microvessels/immunology , Microvessels/pathology , Neoplasm Staging , von Willebrand Factor/analysis
7.
Cesk Patol ; 43(2): 50-8, 2007 Apr.
Article in Czech | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17623976

ABSTRACT

Angiogenesis is a process of formation of new vessels from the preexisting ones. It is involved in many physiological processes, at the same time, however, it is involved also in the progress of tumoral growth. Although a lot is known about angiogenesis in solid tumors where it plays a role in tumoral invasion and its metastatic potential, in hematological malignancies it has been appreciated only recently. However, the results of studies on abnormal angiogenesis in hematological malignancies are inconsistent. Angiogenesis can be studied at different levels; histologically, it is studied in the infiltrated tissues (lymph nodes, bone marrow) and quantified as microvessel density (MVD). The aims of our study were to introduce the method of MVD quantification in the bonemarrow using immunohistochemical detection of endothelial markers (fVIII) and then evaluate MVD in bone marrow samples in a group of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and compare the results with a control group of patients (CON). CLL is a typical malignancy of the hematopoietic tissue but the course and the prognosis of patients with this disease vary considerably. For this reason there is urgent need for novel prognostic markers in order to assess individual patient prognosis and tailor treatment. Angiogenesis is one of the possible markers which may add more informations about the course of this disease. So far only few studies have been published about angiogenesis measured as MVD in CLL patients andthe results are inconsistent. In our study, both the number and the area of microvessels were increased in bone marrow of patients with CLL, but the number and area of sinuses were not. It can be concluded that there are signs of abnormal angiogenesis in bone marrow of patients with CLL but larger study with longer follow-up is needed to give more specific information about prognostic value of these findings.


Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/blood supply , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology , Neovascularization, Pathologic/pathology , Adult , Aged , Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Bone Marrow/pathology , Female , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/physiopathology , Male , Microcirculation/pathology , Middle Aged , Neovascularization, Pathologic/diagnosis , von Willebrand Factor/analysis
9.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett ; 11(21): 2833-5, 2001 Nov 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11597410

ABSTRACT

The reaction of methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)-4-nitrophenyl carbonate with amphotericin B has been used to prepare a new conjugate of amphotericin B (mPEG-AmB). A preliminary screening of in vitro antifungal activity has suggested that mPEG-AmB possesses a similar effect and a similar spectrum of activity as the conventional amphotericin B formulated with sodium desoxycholate.


Subject(s)
Amphotericin B/chemistry , Antifungal Agents/chemistry , Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry , Amphotericin B/chemical synthesis , Amphotericin B/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/chemical synthesis , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Polyethylene Glycols/chemical synthesis , Polyethylene Glycols/pharmacology , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
10.
Liver Transpl ; 7(7): 608-14, 2001 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11460228

ABSTRACT

Although nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has generally been considered a benign condition, the increasing prevalence and severity of obesity has heightened concerns about the frequency with which NASH progresses to end-stage liver disease. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency, clinical features, and posttransplantation history of decompensated liver disease secondary to NASH. The frequency of NASH as a cause of end-stage liver disease was prospectively determined in patients evaluated for liver transplantation. NASH was considered to be the primary cause of liver disease in patients who had histological evidence of steatohepatitis and in whom chronic liver diseases other than NASH were excluded. Posttransplantation histological characteristics were also determined in patients with NASH and compared with those of patients with pretransplantation diagnoses of cholestatic liver diseases, alcoholic disease, and hepatitis C. Of 1,207 patients evaluated for liver transplantation during the study period, 31 patients (2.6%) had NASH as the primary cause of liver disease. In the same period, 546 liver transplantations were performed, 16 of which (2.9%) were for end-stage disease secondary to NASH. Posttransplantation steatosis was seen in 60% of transplant recipients with NASH versus 5% of those with cholestatic disease, 15% of those with alcoholic disease, and 15% of those with hepatitis C. Steatohepatitis recurred in 33% of transplant recipients with NASH, with progression to cirrhosis in 12.5%. NASH can progress to end-stage liver disease in a minority of affected patients and was the primary cause of liver disease in 2.9% of patients evaluated for liver transplantation at our center. Recurrence of steatosis and NASH is frequent and can be severe after liver transplantation.


Subject(s)
Fatty Liver/complications , Liver Failure/etiology , Adult , Aged , Disease Progression , Fatty Liver/pathology , Female , Humans , Liver/pathology , Liver Cirrhosis/pathology , Liver Failure/pathology , Liver Transplantation , Male , Middle Aged , Postoperative Complications
11.
Transplantation ; 70(9): 1347-52, 2000 Nov 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-11087151

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Poor preoperative nutritional status has been reported to be associated with adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. Published data are, however, conflicting, with methods of preoperative nutritional assessment and postoperative outcomes varying between studies. METHODS: We prospectively studied the predictive value of preoperative nutritional status for adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. Assessment of preoperative nutritional status included: body cell mass determination, subjective global assessment, anthropometry, handgrip dynamometry, biochemical and amino acid profile, Child's score, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Death, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay > or =4 days, hospital length of stay > or =15 days, blood usage > or =36 U of blood products, infection, rejection, and global resource utilization (an index of cost) greater than the median were considered poor outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were studied. Longer ICU stay was associated with lower handgrip strength (P<0.01) and lower aromatic amino acid levels (P<0.01). Longer total hospital stay and the development of infections were associated with lower branched chain amino acid levels (P<0.01 and <0.001, respectively). Acute cellular rejection was associated with lower total body fat (P<0.001) and higher triglyceride levels (P<0.02). Neither death nor higher global resource utilization was associated with any preoperative nutritional parameter. CONCLUSIONS: Lower preoperative handgrip strength and branched chain amino acid levels are associated with longer ICU stays and increased likelihood of posttransplant infections. In our program, in which nutritional support was provided to potential recipients exhibiting malnourishment, none of the measured nutritional parameters were associated with mortality or greater global resource utilization.


Subject(s)
Liver Transplantation , Nutritional Status , Adult , Aged , Body Mass Index , Female , Graft Rejection/pathology , Humans , Length of Stay , Liver Transplantation/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , Nutritional Status/physiology , Predictive Value of Tests , Prospective Studies , Treatment Outcome
12.
Liver Transpl ; 6(5): 575-81, 2000 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-10980056

ABSTRACT

Protein-calorie malnutrition, best measured by body cell mass (BCM) depletion, has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients with end-stage liver disease. We prospectively measured BCM and multiple standard nutritional parameters in patients with end-stage liver disease to determine which, if any, of the traditionally measured nutritional parameters correlate with BCM. A detailed nutritional assessment, including BCM analysis, subjective global assessment, anthropometry, handgrip dynamometry, laboratory tests, and body composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed in 69 sequential patients awaiting liver transplantation. The frequency of abnormalities of specific parameters of nutritional status varied between 19% and 99%. Most of the commonly measured parameters of nutritional status correlated poorly with BCM. Patients with depleted BCM (lowest quartile for sex) had midarm circumference (P <.01), arm-muscle circumference (P <.001), handgrip strength (P <.001), blood urea nitrogen (P <.01), and creatinine (P <.01) values less than those for patients with greater BCM (highest 3 quartiles for sex). In multivariate analysis, arm-muscle circumference and handgrip strength were the best predictors of BCM. The combined criteria of handgrip strength less than 30 kg and arm-muscle circumference less than 23 cm have a sensitivity of 94% and a negative predictive value of 97% in identifying patients with depleted BCM. Although abnormalities of nutritional parameters are highly prevalent among patients with end-stage liver disease, most parameters of nutritional status do not correlate with BCM. In patients with end-stage liver disease, arm-muscle circumference and handgrip strength are the most sensitive markers of BCM depletion.


Subject(s)
Liver Failure/pathology , Liver Failure/physiopathology , Nutritional Status , Absorptiometry, Photon , Anthropometry , Cell Size , Hand Strength , Humans , Liver Failure/diagnostic imaging , Liver Failure/metabolism , Multivariate Analysis , Nutrition Assessment , Prospective Studies
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