Volume 1, Issue 4

Multiple sclerosis is still a disease without a cure. Although intensive research efforts have led to the development of drugs that modify the activity of the disease, most of them have various side effects and are expensive. At the same time it is becoming apparent that some remedies usually used to treat somatic and psychic disorders also have immunomodulating properties, and may help manage multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. We describe here the role of the sympathetic nervous system in the neuro-immune interaction in multiple sclerosis and other immune diseases with increased cellular immunity as well as neurochemical disturbances that take place in these disorders.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among women in the western world. Due to the aggressive behaviour of some specific types and the possibility of an early diagnosis, breast cancer has been constantly studied. Tumour size, histological type, cellular and nuclear characteristics, mitotic index, vascular invasion, hormonal receptors and axillary lymph node status are biomarkers routinely used. However, these parameters are not enough to predict the course of this disease. Molecular biology advances have made it possible to find new markers, which have already been incorporated to the clinical practice. Their ultimate goal is to reduce mortality by identifying women at risk for the development of this disease, help diagnosis, determine prognosis, detect recurrences, monitor and guide treatment, and in particular cancers they are suited for general screening. Tumour markers in breast cancer were ranked in categories reflecting their clinical utility, according to the American College of Pathologists. This article focuses on traditional and new molecular markers stratifying them into categories and emphasizing their relevance in the routine evaluation of patients with breast cancer.

We studied the release of nicotinic acid from a macromolecular pro-drug containing niacin bound to a polymeric support of dextran. Using a modified High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method to provide an improved separation between nicotinic acid and its metabolites, we compared the plasma levels of nicotinic acid 24 h after administration of the pro-drug or a similar dose of unbound nicotinic acid to rats. Nicotinic acid exerts a number of pharmacological activities among which is the hypolipidemic effect. To determine the hypolipidemic effect of the pro-drug, we measured the triglyceride levels and examined the correlation with the plasma levels of nicotinic acid.Starting 6 h after administration of the pro-drug, the plasma levels of nicotinic acid were high enough to cause a decrease in the triglyceride level. These results suggest that nicotinic acid was gradually released from the polymeric support, leading to the sustained presence of the active substance and, therefore, a reduction in the level of triglycerides.

The carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitor acetazolamide is a classic drug to treat patients with breathing disorders. Recent studies in rabbits showed that low-dose acetazolamide (not causing appreciable inhibition of red cell CA) significantly weakened respiratory muscle performance, accompanied by diminished ventilatory CO2-sensitivity, which implies stabilizing loop-gain properties. Now is aimed to explore the interaction of these factors under conditions of complete CA-inhibition by acetazolamide in a higher dose-range. In anesthetized rabbits (N=7), acetazolamide (up to 75 mg·kg−1) distinctly lowered the base excess (to-7.6 ± 0.9mM, mean ± SEM) without respiratory compensation of arterial pH. Ventilatory CO2-sensitivity was nearly abolished to 15.1 ± 5.2% of control, but the transmission of a CO2-mediated rise in tidal phrenic activity into respiratory work was only reduced by 51.6 ± 6.4%, P < 0.001, not very much more than (~38%) already observed at low-doses. Thus, the large reduction of ventilatory CO2-sensitivity in the high-dose range cannot be ascribed to respiratory muscle weakening, but rather may relate to complete inhibition of red cell CA. Conversely, CA-inhibition may not be the only cause for the weakening effect of acetazolamide on (respiratory) muscles. Adverse effects on respiratory muscles, impaired CO2-transport and acid-base imbalance may limit to make use of stabilizing effects on breathing control functions by high-dose acetazolamide.

α1 — adrenolytic activities of pyridoindole derivatives recently synthesized in the Institute of Experimental Pharmacology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, were measured. A characteristic set of derivatives (five active, one with a threshold activity and two inactive) was chosen and an elementary structure-activity study was performed. The structure and energy properties were estimated by quantum-chemical semiempirical AM1 and molecular mechanics methods. The ionization constants pKα of the individual derivatives were calculated by program Pallas or estimated by potenciometric titration. The α 1 blocking activities were measured by rat thoracic aorta model. The experimental model used was not α 1 — adrenoreceptor subtypes specific, however, the α 1D subtype could be considered to be a predominant type in a rat aorta. The obtained physico-chemical parameters were then compared with the blocking activities of the derivatives and following determining characters for α 1 — adrenolytic activities were determined: 1) the polarity of the substituted phenol ring represented by a map of molecular electrostatic potential and 2) the hexahydro-pyridine nitrogen pKα constant, which represents the ability of the compound to be protonated by physiologic pH.

The aim of this study has been to estimate effects of indoor air pollutants on children’s health. An anamnestic retrospective study was done on 1074 children aged between 7 and 11 years old who lived in Nis (Serbia). An original questionnaire was used in an interview between training physicians and children’s parents. Interview data were processed by using Microsoft Excel and Epiinfo 6. The investigation determined that children who were more often exposed to combustion by-products had respiratory and nonspecific symptoms. Parental smoking was strongly associated with wheezing, bronchitis, headache and fatigue. There was no association between health and keeping pets, apart from partial nasal congestion. Presence of insects (e.g., cockroaches) and rats in households was a significant risk factor for all symptoms and diseases estimated except for asthma and pneumonia. Homes abundant in textiles were the cause of nasal congestion, wheezing and fatigue in children. Old mattresses were associated with respiratory symptoms, bronchitis, and nonspecific symptoms. It has been concluded that indoor air quality plays a major role in children’s health. Sources of indoor air pollution are present in every home. Being aware of the risks associated with indoor air quality problems, consequently, leads to their mitigation.

While the season-of-birth effect is one of the most consistent epidemiological features of schizophrenia, there is a lack of consistency with respect to the interaction between season of birth and family history of schizophrenia. Apart from family history, measures related to consanguinity can be used as proxy markers of genomic heterogeneity. Thus, these measures may provide an alternate, indirect index of genetic susceptibility. We had the opportunity to explore the interaction between season of birth and measure of consanguinity in well-described genetic isolates in Daghestan, some of which are known for their relatively high prevalence of schizophrenia. Our previous population-genetic study showed Daghestan has an extremely high genetic diversity between the ethnic populations and a low genetic diversity within them. The isolates selected for this study include some with more than 200 and some with less than 100 generations of demographical history since their founding. Based on pedigrees of multiply-affected families, we found that among individuals with schizophrenia, the measure of consanguinity was significantly higher in the parents of those born in winter/spring compared to those born in summer/autumn. Furthermore, compared to summer/autumn born, winter/spring born individuals with schizophrenia had an earlier age-of-onset, and more prominent auditory hallucinations. Our results suggest that the offspring of consanguineous marriages, and thus those with reduced allelic heterogeneity, may be more susceptible to the environmental factor(s) underpinning the season-of-the effect in schizophrenia.

The objective was to study the demographics and some reproductive health indicators in Ukrainian women who reported having been raped. On the basis of responses to a questionnaire, we evaluated factors associated with a history of rape by a case-referent approach, using women reporting rape (n=177) as the dependent variable in comparison to those without such an experience (n=1444). Women reporting rape were more often younger than those without a history of rape. There was an association between a history of rape and three or more induced abortions. Rape victims were more likely to have a history of sexually transmitted infections and pelvic inflammatory diseases. A history of rape was more often associated with smoking and previous drug use. Women who had experienced rape more often reported more than one sexual partner during the last six months as well as during the previous year. On the other hand, these women reported sexual intercourse less frequently than did those without a history of rape. Rape victims more often reported sexual harassment at where they work or socialize as well as sexual abuse in childhood or within their family. Thus, a history of rape was common and associated with several negative health indicators. Sexual violence needs to be acknowledged in all parts of the Ukrainian society as a serious threat that requires urgent attention for the improvement of women’s reproductive and general health and human rights.

The risks of induction must be carefully weighed against the risks of allowing the pregnancy to continue and not inducing labor. The aim of the study was to show labor and neonatal outcome of 335 deliveries inducted in 2004 at Institute of gynecology and obstetrics Clinical Center of Serbia. Inductions were performed with PGE2, PGE1 and Oxytocin. The best ripening effect was noted in PGE2 group. The average duration of labor was 8.6h in PGE1group, 5.9h in PGE2 group and 10.4h in OT group. Sixty eight labors finished with cesarean section (20%). Comparing duration of labor, percentage of emergency cesarean sections, incidence of fetal distress during the labor we suggest Dinoprostone, placed intracervically, as an agent of choice for induction of labor.

We describe a patient who was admitted with uncontrolled thyrotoxicosis and carbimazole induced neutropenia. She required 80 mg of carbimazole daily. The patient declined radio-iodine treatment because she had a little child and wished to have thyroid surgery. She received four doses of filgrastim (Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) which maintained the neutrophil count within a reasonable level while she continued to receive carbimazole to prepare her for surgery. After a curative subtotal thyroidectomy and discontinuation of the carbimazole, the patient’s white cell count remained normal. Subsequently the patient was euthyroid on levothyroxine replacement. Carbimazole should always be discontinued if neutropenia occurs but this case demonstrates that in exceptional circumstances filgrastim can be an effective therapy while continuing carbimazole in the short term.