Medical geochemistry research in Spissko-Gemerské rudohorie Mts., Slovakia.

This study presents an assessment of the potential impact of geological contamination of the environment on the health of the population in Spissko-Gemerské rudohorie Mts. (SGR Mts.). The concentration levels of potentially toxic elements (mainly As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Zn) were determined in soils, groundwater, surface water, and stream sediments as well as in the food chain (locally grown vegetables). A medical study included some 30 health indicators for all 98 municipalities of the study area. The As and Sb contents in human fluids and tissues were analyzed in one municipality identified to be at the highest risk. Based on element content, environmental and health risks were calculated for respective municipalities. Out of 98 municipalities 14 were characterized with extremely high environmental risk and 10 were characterized with very high carcinogenic risk from arsenic (groundwater). Extensive statistical analysis of geochemical data (element contents in soils, groundwater, surface water, and stream sediments) and health indicators was performed. Significant correlations between element contents in the geological environment and health indicators, mainly cancer and cardiovascular diseases, were identified. Biological monitoring has confirmed the transfer of elements from the geological environment to human fluids and tissues as well as to the local food chain.

[Acebutolol in the treatment of arterial hypertension in pregnancy--comparison with commonly used hypertensive agents]. / Acebutolol v liecbe artériovej hypertenzie v gravidite--porovnanie s bezne uzívanými antihypertenzívami.

OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of our study was to analyse efficacy and safety of acebutolol (Sectral) in the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. DESIGN: Cohort clinical study comparing efficacy and safety of acebutolol with other antihypertensive drugs by 77 patients and their 81 newborns. The number of 48 patients were treated by acebutolol. SETTING: Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Department, Regional Hospital, Nitra and The Faculty of Health Service and Social Work, University of Trnava; Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Regional Hospital Nitra and The Faculty of Health Service and Social Work, University of Trnava; Institute of Pharmacology, The Faculty of Medicine, Komenského University, Bratislava; Environment, a.s. Nitra. METHODS: During the period of 6 years our patients were divided into subgroups according to the type of hypertension in pregnancy and the severity of the illness which was the basis for used antihypertensive drugs. One of the topics of the study was to provide monitoring of adverse events by mother and possible drug influence on their new-born has been evaluated by investigating the week of birth, weight and length of the new-born and evaluating of Apgar score. RESULTS: In the subgroup of 48 women treated by acebutolol we have confirmed the efficacy and safety of this antihypertensive drug without any clinically significant effect on the quality of life of their new-born and evaluating of Apgar score. CONCLUSION: With regard to the results of our clinical study we can consider acebutolol to be effective and safe antihypertensive drug in the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy.

Crohns disease in Slovakia: prevalence, socioeconomic and psychological analysis.

The need for a basic epidemiological study, according to international standards, of the prevalence of IBD in Slovakia was increased by the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. This paper presents the results of CD prevalence to 30 April 1994 in Slovakia. To evaluate the statistical data of the prevalence of the disease according to age, sex, regions and districts, the authors employed the multi-dimensional Kruskal-Wallis test and cluster analysis and determined that the prevalence of CD in Slovakia is 6.75/100.000 inhabitants. The distribution differences indicate the need for further investigations of environmental differences. The socio-economic and psychological evaluation of the patients examined revealed some interesting associations. The psychological reaction to the disease is neurotic and depressive and a higher occurrence of affective symptomatology was observed in patients with permanent partnership and with children. On the other hand, the educational level and knowledge concerning the disease on the part of the patient had a positive influence on the reaction to the disease.

[Crohn's disease in the adult population in Slovakia]. / Crohnova choroba v dospelej Slovenskej populácii.

The requirement of preparing a fundamental epidemiological study concerning the incidence of Crohn's disease in Slovakia became very important after the splitting of Czecho-Slovakia. The authors in cooperation with the regional gastroenterologists present the study concerning the incidence of this inflammatory bowel disease in the Slovak Republic up to 30th April 1994. The multidimensional Kruskal-Wallis test for analyzing statistical differences in incidence of Crohn's disease according to age, sex, and regions was used. Cluster analysis was used for investigation of the regional differences. This study has shown that there is 6.75 cases of Crohn's disease per 100 000 inhabitants in Slovakia. There are no differences in incidence rate of Crohn's disease between the regions. There are differences between the districts: some of districts have both, absolutely and relatively high number of cases, and in another districts, young people are more involved in the analysed disease. The highest age specific incidence rate of Crohn's disease was between 30-49 years. (Tab. 1, Fig. 7, Ref. 14.)

[Hylacombun in inflammatory bowel diseases]. / Hylacombun pri zápalových chorobách criev.

Treatment of non-specific bowel inflammation (NBI) particularly of Crohn's disease (MD) and ulcerative colitis is very complicated, especially because of the fact, that in spite of atrial successful findings, the etiology of both main diseases of this group remain unknown. Nevertheless, manifestations, particularly in MC vary, often unexpectedly and surprisingly. Different medical teams elaborate therapeutic schedules, but none of them has been accepted world-wide. As it is still possible to state that NBI is untreatable by drug therapy, even the surgical removal of the affected part of the bowel does not protect against the relapse, it may indicate that no therapeutical approaches are sufficient at present. Using drug therapy, the biochemical chain of numerous inflammatory mediators is being tried to be disrupted. Despite the advances achieved, there are still many difficulties related to drug therapy. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the lack of knowledge in causative therapy and failure, poor response to initial therapy lead to the use of more new drugs. Therefore a careful consideration of every used or recommended drug is necessary. The principle of using Hylacombun (Merckle) in therapy was not applied due to the presumption of influencing the disease fundamentally, but due to an effort to reduce some symptoms of the disease, which deteriorate the life quality of patients. Data given by patients in questionnaires as well as biochemical and haematological parameters were evaluated statistically. Besides the commonly used Student t-test, we used Box and Whisker plots, linear trend analysis and the method of 9 aggregation numbers to follow both dynamics of the disease and drug effect. Laboratory, as well as the questionnaire data were equilibrated and graphically illustrated by the spline method. We found out that Hylacombun was effective in all patients. Subjective improvement was shown after 10 days of therapy, stabile improvement after 2 months. (Tab. 3, Fig. 7, Ref. 9.).

Serum tumor marker CYFRA 21-1 in the diagnostics of squamous cell lung cancer--comparison with CEA.

The aim of the study was to test the diagnostic value of serum tumor marker CYFRA 21-1 for squamous cell lung cancer (SQCLC) in comparison with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Ninety-one patients were included in this study: 56 with SQCLC-Group I, 25 with other types of lung cancer-Group II, 10 with benign respiratory tract diseases-Group III. Median CYFRA 21-1 serum concentration (ng/ml) was: in Group I: 4.52 (0.94 - > 16), in Group II: 3.58 (1.72 - > 16), in Group III: 2.05 (0.99-3.41). Median CEA serum concentration (ng/ml) was: in Group I: 4.49 (0.76 - > 20), in Group II: 3.32 (1.17 - > 20), in Group III: 3.09 (1.84-6.37). There was a highly significant difference between the levels of CYFRA 21-1 in Group I and III (p < 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between the levels of CEA in Group I and III. Sensitivity of CYFRA 21-1 by the cut-off 3.33 ng/ml in the diagnostics of SQCLC was 0.68, specificity 0.90, positive predictive value 0.91, negative predictive value 0.65. Sensitivity of CEA by cut-off 4.61 ng/ml was 0.5 by the same specificity 0.90. CYFRA 21-1 has high sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value in the diagnostics of SQCLC. Sensitivity of CYFRA 21-1 is significantly higher than sensitivity of CEA in this setting.

[Comparison of the effectiveness and tolerance of Aktiferrin, a ferrous sulfate capsule preparation and Tardyferon pills in patients with uncomplicated sideropenic anemia]. / Porovnanie úcinnosti a tolerancie ferosulfátových prípravkov Aktiferrin kapsle a Tardyferon drazé u pacientov s nekomplikovanou sideropenickou anémiou.

BACKGROUND: The most frequent complications of oral administration of medicinal iron are gastrointestinal complaints the incidence of which correlates with the iron content of the preparation. The objective of the present work was to compare the effectiveness and tolerance of two ferrous sulphate preparations, Aktiferrin capsules and Tardyferon dragées which differ as to the elemental iron content. METHODS AND RESULTS: To two groups of patients with sideropenic anaemia selected at random (39 women and 1 men, age 14-61 years, median 28 years) Aktiferrin or Tardyferon was administered. Administration of the preparations which have a more than double different elemental iron content had a comparable effect on the investigated haematological parameters. In the group treated with Akiferrin no GIT intolerance was observed, in the group with Tardyferon it was observed in four patients. CONCLUSIONS: Aktiferrin has a comparable therapeutic effect although it contains 2.5 times less elemental iron, as compared with Tardyferon.

[The effect of high-dose ultraviolet irradiation on sodium, calcium and aldosterone in the blood of calves]. / Pôsobenie nadmerného ultrafialového ziarenia na sodík, vápnik a aldosteron v plazme teliat.

Five Holstein-Friesian calves, from one sire, with prevalent black hair coat pigmentation were used in the experiment. The mean age was 33 days and the mean live weight 51 kg. The animals were exposed free running without interruption for 12 hours to an artificial ultraviolet light in the range of 280-320 nm. The mean doses of radiation was 179.10(-10) J/h/m. One-spot high-pressure mercury discharge lamps Tesla RVK 400 W were used as a radiation source. The dose rate was estimated from measurements by a spectral photometer with filter UG 2 for absorbtion of visible light located at the height of the back of standing calf. Blood samples were collected immediately before the beginning of treatment and after 5, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The blood plasma aldosterone was measured by radioimmunoassays, the levels of sodium, potassium and calcium in blood plasma by flame spectrophotometry. Double classification variance analysis and evaluation according to the Snedecor F-test, the contrast effect test according to Duncan and regression analysis were used for statistical evaluation. Compared to the first sampling, sodium increased significantly after 5 and 12 hours of exposure (Tab. I) to 138.1 and 138.3 mmol/l, respectively. In the subsequent samplings this trend continued up to 72 hours from the beginning of irradiation (140.5 mmol/l). The potassium level did not change statistically significantly. Owing to an excessive irradiation, the calcium concentration increased significantly. The greatest increase occurred after 12 hours of irradiation (from 2.29 mmol/l to 2.61 mmol/l) and after 36 hours from the end of irradiation (2.70 mmol/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Relation between milk production and biochemical indicators in high- and low-producing cows]. / Vztahy mliekovej úzitkovosti a biochemických ukazovatel'ov u vysoko a menej úzitkových kráv.

23 cows of the Holstein-Friesian breed during second lactation were used in the experiment. All animals were housed in one stable with tying. The blood was collected from each cow four times during first to third, fourth to sixth, seventh to ninth and above nine months of lactation. After 305 days of lactation, the milk cows were classified as with high (n = 14) and lower performance (n = 9), the limit value was 5000 kg of milk. The difference in milk production between groups was highly significant even during the period of the first 90 days (501 kg) and this difference increased for 305 days of lactation to 1538 kg (Tab. I); the dairy cows with high performance produced 6162 kg of milk per 305 days and that with the lower performance gave 4624 kg during the same period. Another significant differences occurred in the fat contents per kg and in the amount of milk converted on 4% fat content. During the first stage of lactation a slightly higher haemoglobine level was found in cows with high performance, the opposing results were obtained in another studies (Tab. II), the highest difference was recorded in the course of 7th to 9th month. The level of total protein was, except 7th to 9th month, always higher in cows of the first group. The difference was significant at the beginning of lactation. Insulin concentration (INS) exhibited identical tendency for the whole lactation--dairy cows with high milk production exhibited lower values, significant differences were recorded in the first observation at the beginning of lactation and in the period above 9 months. Similarly as in case of insulin, it is also in hormones of thyroid gland, the cows with high milk capacity had the lower values (Tab. III). The highest differences in triiodothyronine (T3) concentration were recorded in the second half of lactation, significance ranged from 7th to 9th month of lactation. In thyroxine content (T4), marked differences were recorded during the first and last observations, the difference was highly statistically significant during the seventh to ninth month of lactation. The levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) were higher for the whole experiment in animals with lower milk production. Tab. IV gives the correlation coefficient of different parameters between periods under study. Almost all parameters are in a close positive relation, the closest dependences were observed between second, third and fourth periods in hormones of thyreoidea. The most significances were recorded in adenosine monophosphate, thus confirming its stability of minimum variance between observations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Estimation of cold stress effect on dairy cows.

Twelve crossbred heifers (Slovak Spotted x Holstein-Friesian) were housed in an open, uninsulated barn with straw bedding and a concrete-floored yard. Minimum temperatures inside the barn were as low as -19 degrees C. The average milk yield decreased as the temperatures approached these minima. Compared with the temperature conditions, the feed intake and blood levels of glucose and free fatty acids increased. The level of sodium declined significantly during the second cold period. Correlations and regressions between milk yield and biochemical parameters were calculated, and the results indicate that the concentrations of free fatty acids, cholesterol, and triiodothyronine and the haematocrit values may serve to predict milk production during periods of cold stress, or in lactations of 305 days.