[Pulmonary rehabilitation methods in the prevention of acute respiratory infections in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the association with psycho-emotional state].

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage I GOLD we revealed a significant reduction of acute respiratory infections frequency after pulmonary rehabilitation using salt aerosol therapy; however, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage II GOLD such a reduction we have not seen. We didn't find marked reduction of acute respiratory infections frequency also in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage I GOLD with higher depression level.

Immunohistochemical detection of acetylation and phosphorylation of histone H3 in cervical smears.

OBJECTIVE: Histones bind in a sequence-independent manner to form chromatin. The aminoterminal tails of histones are targets for both phosphorylation and acetylation events. These modifications are thought to fundamentally regulate chromatin structure to accommodate transcription, DNA replication, mitosis and DNA repair. Regeneration of squamous epithelium is accompanied by marked cellular atypia, nuclear and nucleolar pleomorphism which could be confused with neoplasia. The aim of the study was to detect phosphorylated and acetylated forms of histone H3 in cytological smears. DESIGN: Translational research. SETTING: Department of Experimental Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Department of Pathological Physiology, Medical Faculty and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Masaryk University, Czech Republic. METHODS: Smears from women aged between 20 to 46 years were selected. The specimens comprised 10 squamous metaplasia, 20 CIN I, 12 CIN II, and 14 CIN III. The smears were stained with polyclonal antibodies against phosphorylated and acetylated forms of histone H3. RESULTS: We found that nuclear positivity for phosphorylated (P) and acetylated (A) forms of histone H3 in CIN II (23% P, 33% A) and CIN III (25% P, 44% A) was higher in comparison with CIN I (8% P, 15% A) and metaplasia (11% P, 12% A). CONCLUSION: We revealed a marked association of histone H3 modifications with the progression of CIN II, CIN III in comparison with CIN I and metaplasia. Our results are in agreement with recent findings: 1. staining of cells with anti-phospho-histone H3 antibodies therefore provides a highly specific marker for mitosis. 2. acetylation of nucleosomal histones correlates with localised transcriptional activity.

[Long-term use of combined hormonal contraception--myths and reality]. / Dlouhodobé uzívání kombinované hormonální kontracepce--mýty a realita.

OBJECTIVE: To assess relationship of long-term use of combined oral contraception (COC) and women health, discussion about myths connected with use of COC. DESIGN: Review of literature. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital of Merciful Brothers, Brno, Czech Republic. METHODS: Identification of studies able to address the topic using Medline database search. RESULTS: Besides reliable control of fertility COC protect women against dysmenorrhea, iron deficiency anemia, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids. COC plays very important role in gynecologic endocrinology suppressing effectively hyperandrogenism, which has not only cosmetic effect but brings also improvement in cardiovascular health of affected perimenopausal women. Premenopausal using of COC could help preserve bone mineral density and can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The most important feature is protective effect against endometrial (by 70%) and ovarian (by 50%) cancer which increases with duration of COC use and is long lasting and may be observed 15 to 20 years after stopping use. Association of use COC with increased risk neither of cervical cancer nor breast cancer has not been confirmed. Controversy still persists over the association of long-term (longer than 8 years) COC use by young nulliparas and breast cancer. The risk in this group of users is probably slightly increased. But no authorities recommended any restriction of COC's prescription. Some studies have suggested an inverse relationship between use of COC and risk of colorectal cancer. The only established evidence of direct association between OC use and cancer risk is the increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in the absence of hepatitis B (but maximum by 4 cases per 1,000,000 users per year). CONCLUSION: Most non-contraceptive health benefits of COC are still not widely appreciated in spite of much evidence. The final decision of contraception method is upon well and adequate informed user by well educated doctor.

The role of tumour suppressors and viral oncoproteins in cervical carcinogenesis.

This article summarizes current knowledge of the cervical carcinogenesis with a special focus on the molecular mechanisms involving the interaction of cellular tumour suppressors (p53, RB, p73) with viral oncoproteins (E6, E7). The E6-induced degradation of p53 protein results in the inhibition of apoptosis, inability to repair DNA and fixation of mutations. The p53-dependent tumourigenesis is influenced by interaction not only with E6/HPV 16, 18 but also with MDM2, bcl-2 and RB protein. The polymorphism of p53 seems to contribute to malignant transformation of cervix. On contrary, there are experimental data showing that p53 may not be the only factor playing role in malignant transformation in cervical cancer. It has been generally agreed that viral oncoprotein E6 is a critical step in the onset of malignant transformation of cervix. There is a vast number of experimental and clinical studies confirming the validity of E6 induced cervical cancer including alteration of the genotype and phenotypic characteristics of the transforming cells. The modern tools of molecular biology offer an exact diagnosis as well as relevant targets for gene therapy of the cervical cancer.

[Mycoplasmas in the vaginal flora in colpitis]. / Mykoplazmata jako soucást posevní flóry pri kolpitide.

The vaginal secretion of 194 women was subjected to bacteriological examination. The results of cultivation examinations were compared with MOP examinations. The widest bacterial spectrum was recorded in MOP II. No differences were recorded as regards detection of lactobacilli and potentially pathogenic bacteria in MOP I, II and III. The percentage of women with Ureaplasma urealyticum was equal in case of MOP I, II and III. Mycoplasma hominis was isolated significantly more frequently in MOP II than in MOP III. As compared with results of examinations in asymptomatic women, those with colpitis were significantly less frequently colonized with Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis. The authors did not record any differences in the composition of the microbial flora in women colonized with mycoplasmas and those without mycoplasmas.

[Changes in the myometrial cell structure during pregnancy and its effect on electrical resistance of the myometrium measured in vitro]. / Zmeny v bunecné strukture myometria v tehotenství a jejich vliv na elektrický odpor myometria merený in vitro.

The authors investigated ultramicroscopically the intercellular connections in the myometrium of pregnant women. In a small group an increased frequency of these connections was observed in association with labour, but unrelated to the period of pregnancy. By measuring the electric resistance of the myometrium in vitro a lower electric resistance of the uterine musculature was recorded in women where uterine activity was under way. The authors assume that the increased presence of free connections reduces the electric resistance of tissue and makes more rapid spread of information in the myometrium possible. In the long run it is one of the factors which lead to spontaneous uterine activity.

[Epidemiology of vaginal mycoplasmas]. / Epidemiologie vaginálních mykoplazmat.

The authors made in 456 women mycoplasmatological examinations of the vaginal secretion by cultivation. Mycoplasma hominis was obtained in 158 women (34.6%). U. urealyticum in 295 women (64.7%) In 120 women (26.3%) both microorganisms were present. The prevalence of vaginal mycoplasms is markedly influenced by the sexual activity of women. The relative risk of colonization of the vagina with M. hominis rises with the frequency of sexual intercourse more than four times. In case of a larger number of sexual partners the relative risk of colonization of the vagina with U. urealyticum is 7.7 times higher than in women with a single partner.