Extracellular DNA is Increased in Dextran Sulphate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease constitute the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Prevalence of these diseases increases. In the present day, inadequate and inefficient therapy causes complications and frequent relapse. Extracellular DNA (ecDNA) is the DNA that is outside of cells and may be responsible for activation of the inflammatory response. To determine whether colitis is associated with higher concentration of ecDNA we used male mice of the C57BL/6 strain. Colitis was induced by 2% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS). After 7 days, mice exhibited considerable weight loss compared to the control group. Also, there was a higher stool consistency score and the colon was significantly shorter in comparison to the control group. Higher concentration of ecDNA was found in the DSS group. Interestingly, deoxyribonuclease activity was lower in the colon of the DSS group compared with the negative control. These findings may point to ecDNA as a potential pathogenetic factor and marker of inflammation.

[Serum interleukin-6 in multiple myeloma: I. Relation to selected laboratory indicators of disease]. / Interleukin-6 v séru u mnohocetného myelomu: I. Vztah k vybraným laboratorním ukazatelum nemoci.

In a group of 111 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) comprising a group of 34 patients examined when the diagnosis was established and a group of 77 patients evaluated in different stages of the disease, the author examined the relationship between the interleukin-6 serum level (IL-6), assessed by the method of enzyme immunoanalysis and selected laboratory indicators of the disease. Elevated IL-6 values were recorded in 38% of the patients. In neither of the groups significant relations were found between IL-6 and calcium, urea, creatinine levels, the amount and type of monoclonal immunoglobulin, lacticode dehydrogenase, beta 2-microglobulin, ferritin, IL-2 and its soluble receptor in serum and the incidence of myeloma plasmocytes in bone marrow. In the second (but not in the first) group a significant relationship was recorded between IL-6 levels and the red cell sedimentation rate, the Hb value, the CRP level and serum albumin and the value of thymidinekinase in serum of patients with a value beyond the normal range. From the investigation ensues that examination of IL-6 serum levels in MM contributes so far mainly to improvement of the diagnosis and expedient classification of this disease in clinical practice.

[Serum thymidine kinase in multiple myeloma: II. Relation to disease activity and stage]. / Tymidinkináza séra u mnohotného myelomu: II. Vztah k aktivite a rozsahu nemoci.

In a group of 74 patients with multiple myeloma examined in different developmental stages of the disease the authors evaluated the clinical impact of assessment of the serum thymidine kinase (S-TK) activity. They recorded a significant relationship of S-TK values and the clinical activity of the disease (increase in 75% of the patients with the clinically active form of myeloma) and the general clinical condition ("performance status") evaluated by means of a five-grade scale. The authors tested the relationship of S-TK values and the degree of multiple myeloma, i.e. the clinical stage of the disease tested according to Durie-Salmon's classification (British Medical Research Council) and the authors' system modified according to Bataille. Individual stages of the disease (stage 1-3) differed as to the mean S-TK value and the median value and also as to the ratio of subjects with elevated values of this biochemical indicator. It was revealed that the cause of the relationship between S-TK and the stage of the disease is the increasing ratio of patients with the clinically active form of the disease in more advanced stages of myeloma. The S-TK activity in patients in the stable stage of the disease did not differ significantly in different stages (stage 1-3). From the practical aspect it is, however, an adverse finding that there is significant overlapping of S-Tk values in all mutually compared groups. According to preliminary experience S-TK is a simple readily accessible indicator related to proliferative characteristics of tumourous tissue which extends the hitherto available spectrum of evaluation criteria in multiple myeloma.

[Effect of chemical substances on the resistance of experimental animals to influenza virus]. / Vliianie khimicheskikh veshchestv na soprotivliaemost' eksperimental'nykh zhivotnykh k virusu grippa.

An experimental evaluation of the impact of a number of chemical compounds toxicologically attributed to different hazardous classes on animal resistibility to influenza virus showed that resistibility dependence on the dose and effect duration had a nonlinear character. There was no complete correlation of a hazardous class of chemical substances and their impact on body resistibility to respiratory infections.