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Copyright of Klinická Biochemie a Metabolismus is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The assessment of selected quality parameters of sinter and the effect of the its quality on the efficiency of blast furnace process is presented. The analysis of chemical composition of sinter was conducted. As a main quality parameter sinter richness (Fe content) was selected. Then influence of sinter richness on two parameters of efficiency was calculated. The study was carried out in cooperation with a Blast-Furnace Department of a Polish steelworks and was based on the results coming from this Department. The analysis covers the period of one calendar year.

Inhibins are glycoproteins which belong to the transforming growth factor beta family (TGF-ß), which contains more than 60 proteins as well as activins, which are structurally similar but differ in terms of function. Inhibins in women are formed in the ovarian granulosa cells, inhibin A is also produced during pregnancy by the yellow body and the placenta. Inhibins play an important role in the regulation of folliculogenesis and oocyte maturation. In males, inhibins are predominantly produced in the testicular Sertoli cells and in a smaller quantity also in the Leydig cells. Their synthesis is stimulated by the effects of androgens but is primarily regulated by spermatogenesis. Currently, it is also clear that the function of inhibins include a much broader spectrum of effects, which are not only related to the reproductive system. In pregnancy, the source of inhibin A is the yellow body and later the placenta. Inhibin (and also activin) have a paracrine and autocrine function in the human placenta and locally affect the production of hormones in the placenta, cellular immunity, cell growth and differentiation of the placenta and embryo. Placental cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast secrete inhibin A, which inhibits the placental secretion hCG and progesterone. In some cases, biochemical markers that are produced by the placenta during pregnancy are used as markers for Down syndrome screening. It has been discovered that an increase in the level of inhibin A is to some degree associated with the presence of Down syndrome and may be used in combination with other biochemical markers produced by the fetoplacental unit as a biochemical screening marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe a patient with pleural exudate in multiple myeloma and to show the importance of the examination of protein electrophoresis and free light chains (FLC) in the pleural effusion. Design: Case report. Settings: Department of Medical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Motol, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine, V Úvalu 84, 150 06 Prague 5 (Czech Republic). Material and Methods: Case report description. Results: The paper describes a patient with multiple myeloma (IgG Lambda type) with pleural exudate, but without typical symptoms of multiple myeloma. There were found only paraprotein and elevation of FLC in serum, urine and pleural effusion, slightly increased serum ß-2-microglobulin and lactate dehydrogenase. Diagnosis of multiple myeloma was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. Conclusion: This case highlights the differential diagnostic significance of paraprotein and FLC examination in pleural effusion of unclear aetiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Klinická Biochemie a Metabolismus is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Klinická Biochemie a Metabolismus is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Klinická Biochemie a Metabolismus is the property of Czech Medical Association of JE Purkyne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The assessment of quality of coke and its consumption in blast furnace process is presented in the paper. The statistical analysis of three basic parameters of coke was made. As a main quality parameters: moisture content, ash content in the dry state, volatile matter content in dry state and calorific value were selected. Then influence of two selected parameters of coke on fuel consumption was calculated. The study was carried out in cooperation with a Blast-Furnace Department of a Polish steelworks and was based on the results coming from this Department. The analysis covers the period of three calendar years.

The assessment of influence of quality of ferrous charge materials on the efficiency parameters of blast furnace process is presented. The analysis of structure of ferrous charge materials was made. As a main quality parameter charge richness was selected. Then influence of charge richness on four parameters of efficiency was calculated. The study was carried out in cooperation with a Blast-Furnace Department of a Polish steelworks and was based on the results coming from this Department. The analysis covers the period of one calendar year.

The paper presents results of the analysis of selected indicators used to assess the efficiency of blast furnace operation: running time operation, plan fulfilment, unit daily production of pig iron and the influence of these parameters on monthly pig iron production and intensity of coke combustion. The study was carried out in cooperation with a Blast-Furnace Department of a Polish steelworks and was based on the results coming from this Department. The analysis covers the period of one calendar year.

The paper presents results of the analysis of selected parameters of blast furnace operation and the influence of various factors on them. The study was carried out in cooperation with a Blast-Furnace Department of a Polish steelworks and was based on the results coming from this Department. The analysis covers the period of one calendar year.

In this paper an attempt was made to identify the areas of metal products manufacturing processes that require improvement. Determination of such areas may become a source of a lot of valuable information for the enterprise, enabling the development of its improvement directions. The results of survey allowed also to define a model of implementation importance for tasks contributing to the metal sector enterprises improvement.

This article presents an attempt to analyze the impact of global conditions on the functionality of the steel industry country – member of the European Union. The paper presents data describing trends and phenomena occurring in the global steel industry, and selected economic indicators describing the economic situation, which allowed the comparison of local changes with the trends disclosed in European and global scale.

In this paper authors submit a method of quality estimation for metallurgical products. The method include three aspects: product’s fulfillment of appointed properties (essential sense of quality), product’s fulfillment of requirements of environmental protection (liquidation quality, level of waste management, energetic quality), onerousness of production process for health of workers.

The article presents the current possibilities for the utilization of blast-furnace and steelmaking slag in the realities of the Polish economy. Particular consideration is given to the legislation applicable to this area and to the physical and chemical requirements imposed on this material. Some aspects of environmental protection are described, and selected indicators are given, which must be met by this material to be used in various fields, such as road construction or cement production. Economical factors that are crucial to perceiving the slag as a standard valuable metallurgical product is also taken into consideration in the analysis.

Background: Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a key regulator of urine phosphate excretion. The aim of the study was to investigate the perioperative (intraoperative and postoperative) changes of plasma intact and C-terminal FGF23 (iFGF23, cFGF23) concentrations in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) submitted to surgery., Materials and Methods: The study involved 38 adult patients with pHPT caused by adenoma. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were investigated intraoperatively (just before the incision and 10 min after adenoma excision). cFGF23, iFGF23, phosphate, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and procollagen type 1 N-terminal propetide (P1NP) were measured intraoperatively and postoperatively (next day after the surgery)., Results: PTH levels decreased intraoperatively (13.10 pmol/L vs 4.17 pmol/L, P< 0.0001). FGF23 levels measured intraoperatively were at the upper level of reference interval. cFGF23 decreased postoperatively compared with the values measured just before the incision (cFGF23: 89.17 RU/mL vs 22.23 RU/mL, P< 0.0001). iFGF23 decreased as well, but the postoperative values were low. Postoperative inorganic phosphate values increased (1.03 mmol/L vs 0.8 mmol/L, P= 0.0025). We proved significant negative correlation of perioperative FGF23 with inorganic phosphate (cFGF23: Spearman's r = -0.253, P= 0.0065; iFGF23: Spearman's r = -0.245, P= 0.0085). We also found that FGF23 values just before incision correlated with eGFR (cystatin C) (cFGF23: Spearman's r = -0.499, P= 0.0014; iFGF23: Spearman's r = -0.413, P= 0.01)., Conclusion: Intraoperative iFGF23 and cFGF23 did not change despite PTH decreased significantly. cFGF23 and iFGF23 significantly decreased 1 day after parathyroidectomy and are associated with increase of inorganic phosphate in pHPT patients. cFGF23 and iFGF23 just before incision correlated with eGFR (cystatin C). Similar results found in both iFGF23 and cFGF23 suggest that each could substitute the other.

The aim of the study was to investigate the hyaluronic acid concentration in middle ear fluid of patients with cleft palate as an indicator of the severity of the disease. Hyaluronic acid was examined in the middle ear fluid of 65 children (48 boys and 17 girls) subjected to cleft lip surgery in neonatal period up to 10 days of age. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the course of the disease. First group consists of 15 patients with favorable course, second group consist of 25 patients with moderate course, third group included 25 patients with an adverse course. Hyaluronic acid levels were determined by commercially available immunoassay. The concentrations of hyaluronic acid in the middle ear fluid were as follows (mean+SEM): favorable course: 14253+2393 µg/l, moderate course: 7503+1345 µg/l, adverse course: 5905+2393 µg/l. Patients with adverse course and moderate course had significantly decreased hyaluronic acid levels in middle ear fluid compared to the patients with favorable course (P=0.02 and P=0.0018). Hyaluronic acid concentration is related to the course of the disease and the lowest values are most frequent in patients with an adverse course.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Hyaluronic acid is a major component of synovial fluid and an indicator of joint viscosity and viscoelasticity. Decreased concentrations of hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid indicate the severity of osteoarthritis. The aim of the study was to determine the concentrations of hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid and to evaluate the correlation with the severity of osteoarthritis determined based on the radiological criteria (evaluation according to X-ray classification) and the physicochemical criteria (measurement of synovial fluid osmolality). MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 67 patients with the mean age of 67 years (35 men, mean age = 65 years, and 32 women, mean age = 68 years) with clinically diagnosed osteoarthritis were included in the study. The patients were divided into four groups according to the severity of arthrosis (from Group 1 - the lowest degree of disability to Group 4 - the most severe degree of arthrosis). Samples were taken during knee arthroscopies or total knee replacements. Hyaluronic acid concentrations in synovial fluid were determined using a commercially available kit based on the sandwich ELISA principle (Teco Hyaluronic acid, Switzerland). Osmolality was measured by the cryoscopic method. RESULTS The average concentrations of hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid in the individual groups were as follows: Group 1: HA = 2302 mg/L, Group 2: HA = 2234 mg/L, Group 3: HA = 2300 mg/L, Group 4: HA = 2446 mg/L. HA concentrations in synovial fluid did not differ from the published reference values in synovial fluid (1500 - 3200 mg/L. HA concentrations do not depend on age, sex, and severity of the disease. The patients who underwent arthroscopy have significantly elevated synovial HA concentration compared to the patients who underwent total knee replacements (2581 mg/l/L vs. 1763 mg/l/L, p = 0.01, Mann-Whitney test). HA positively correlates with the osmotic pressure determined by the examination of osmolality in synovial fluid (r = 0.29, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS Hyaluronic acid concentrations in patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent arthroscopy are significantly increased compared to the group of patients with total knee replacement. Hyaluronic acid concentrations in the synovial fluid correlate with the increased osmotic pressure, and may therefore be an additional indicator of the severity of the disease. Key words: hyaluronic acid, knee arthrosis, total knee replacement, osmolality.

A rare case of cyanoacrylate urine bladder urolithiasis in a 60-year-old male is presented. The application of surgical glue (Glubran) as treatment of seroma one month after laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty led to the instillation of the n-butyl cyanoacrylate into the bladder resulting in the formation of a concretion. Infrared spectroscopy of the urine stone removed by cystoscopic laser lithotripsy four months after the surgery allowed the identification of the nature of the stone and revealed cyanoacrylate as the major component and co-monomer methacryloxy sulfolane as the minor component. Polypropylene from the mesh was not detected.

Background: Thymidine kinase-1 (TK-1) is associated with proliferation and malignancy and has been extensively studied as a diagnostic biomarker for a variety of tumors, but there are limited data for prostate cancer., Methods: TK-1 concentrations in serum were measured in 59 patients with prostate cancer (mean age 68 years) and in the control group of 28 healthy men (mean age 63 years) using commercially available enzymatic immunoassay (LSBio, Inc., Seattle, WA, USA). The patients were divided with respect to the severity of the disease into two groups according to the European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines (Stage 1, 2 - less severe tumors, stage 3 - severe tumors)., Results: Serum thymidine kinase-1 concentrations were significantly elevated in the group of the patients with prostate cancer compared to the healthy individuals (0.204 pmol/L vs. 0.072 pmol/L, with p < 0.0001). Diagnostic efficiency of serum TK-1 concentrations was 0.792 with the specificity of 53.6% and sensitivity of 94.9%. Patients with less severe tumors (Stage 1, 2) and severe tumors (Stage 3) had significantly increased levels of TK-1 as well (p < 0.0001). Combination of TK-1 and PSA investigation in patients with PCa improve the diagnostic validity of TK-1 (AUC = 0.87)., Conclusions: Concentrations of thymidine kinase 1 are increased in all patients with prostate cancer and even more in patients with severe prostate cancer. Thymidine kinase 1 appears to be a promising additional diagnostic marker promising in patients with prostate cancer.

Background: It has been shown that decreased expression and activity of extracellular matrix protein mindin correlate with various types of cancers including breast, colon and lung cancers. The aim of the presented study was to investigate the serum mindin levels in prostate cancer., Methods: Mindin concentrations in serum were measured in 56 patients with prostate cancer (mean age 68 years) and in control group of 29 healthy men (mean age 64 years) using commercially available enzymatic immunoassay (Cusabio, WuHan, China). The patients were divided with respect to the severity of the disease into two groups according to the EAU guidelines (stage 1, 2 - less severe tumours, stage 3, 4 - severe tumours)., Results: Serum mindin concentrations were significantly elevated in the group of healthy individuals unlike in the patients with prostate cancer (2.12 ng/mL vs 0.78 ng/mL, with P=0.0007, AUC=0.705). Patients with less severe tumours (stage 1, 2) and severe tumours (stage 3, 4) had significantly decreased levels of S-mindin as well (P=0.0037), although the difference in serum mindin concentrations between the patients with less severe and severe tumours was not significant., Conclusions: Concentrations of mindin were decreased in patients with prostate cancer and reduced in patients with less severe prostate cancer as well. Mindin appears to be a promising diagnostic marker useful in the diagnosis of prostate cancer., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors stated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (2020 Lenka Hanousková, Jakub Řezáč, Štěpán Veselý, Richard Průša, Karel Kotaška, published by CEON/CEES.)

Background: Currently, prenatal testing is based on an ultrasound examination, the testing of certain biochemical markers and, most recently, also on the analysis of fragments from the extracellular DNA of the fetus in the mother´s blood. The aim of this work was to verify whether inhibin A testing during pregnancy can help influence the risk distribution of Down syndrome screening results in high risk population and thus possibly reduce the number of unnecessarily invasive procedures, or for better stratification of risks when deciding on non-invasive DNA testing., Methods: The concentrations of inhibin A were measured using a chemiluminescent immunoassay in two groups of screening tests. The first group (triple test) included a total of 277 pregnant women; the second group (integrated test) included 91 pregnant women. Risk assessments of screenings were performed using Alpha software, LMS., Results: The resulting risk for pregnant women without the determination of inhibin A was higher or equal to 1:300 (triple test) and 1:150 (integrated test). Inhibin A was then measured in the monitored groups and the risk was recalculated. In the first group (triple test) the risk was lower than 1:300 in 152 pregnant women and in the other group (the integrated test) in 47 pregnant women. At the end of the study, all results were compared with the outcome of the pregnancy., Conclusions: The results obtained show that the inclusion of inhibin A in screening protocols reduces the number of positive results in high risk population screened without inhibin A.

Soluble oligomeric forms of amyloid beta (Aβ) play an important role in causing the cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by targeting and disrupting synaptic pathways. Thus, the present research is directed toward identifying the neuronal pathways targeted by soluble forms and, accordingly, develops alternative therapeutic strategies. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is synthesized as a precursor (pro-BDNF) which is cleaved extracellularly by plasmin to release the mature form. The conversion from pro-BDNF to BDNF is an important process that regulates neuronal activity and memory processes. Plasmin-dependent maturation of BDNF in the brain is regulated by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), the natural inhibitor of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). Therefore, tPA/PAI-1 system represents an important regulator of extracellular BDNF/pro-BDNF ratio. In this review, we summarize the data on the components of the plasminogen activation system and on BDNF in AD. Moreover, we will hypothesize a possible pathogenic mechanism caused by soluble Aβ forms based on the effects on tPA/PAI-1 system and on the consequence of an altered conversion from pro-BDNF to the mature BDNF in the brain of AD patients. Translation into clinic may include a better characterization of the disease stage and future direction on therapeutic targets., (© 2018 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Hypomagnesaemia is present in 40-50% of children with autosomal dominant renal cysts and diabetes syndrome (RCAD). On the contrary, the prevalence of hypomagnesaemia in children with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) has never been examined. We aimed to investigate whether hypomagnesaemia is present in children with polycystic kidney diseases., Methods: Children with cystic kidney diseases were investigated in a cross-sectional study. Serum concentrations of magnesium (S-Mg) and fractional excretion of magnesium (FE-Mg) were tested. Fifty-four children with ADPKD ( n = 26), autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) ( n = 16) and RCAD ( n = 12) with median age of 11.2 (0.6-18.6) years were investigated., Results: Hypomagnesaemia (S-Mg < 0.7 mmol/L) was detected in none of the children with ADPKD/ARPKD and in eight children (67%) with RCAD. Median S-Mg in children with ADPKD/ARPKD was significantly higher than in children with RCAD (0.89 vs. 0.65 mmol/L, P < 0.01). The FE-Mg was increased in 23% of patients with ADPKD/ARPKD (all had chronic kidney disease stages 2-4) and in 63% of patients with RCAD, where it significantly correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = -0.87, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Hypomagnesaemia is absent in children with ADPKD or ARPKD and could serve as a marker for differential diagnostics between ADPKD, ARPKD and RCAD in children with cystic kidney diseases of unknown origin where molecular genetic testing is lacking. However, while hypomagnesaemia, in the absence of diuretics, appears to rule out ADPKD and ARPKD, normomagnesaemia does not rule out RCAD at least in those aged <3 years.

Background: The homeostasis of essential trace elements such as selenium and manganese may be altered in patients with severe diseases of various etiologies (trauma brain injuries, tumors, leukemias, lymphomas, neurological diseases)., Methods: Concentration of manganese and selenium were determined in cerebrospinal fluid by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry in 50 hospitalized children with various clinical ethiologies including oncological, neurological, and brain related diseases., Results: The concentrations of manganese in cerebrospinal fluid of children were 0.97±0.67 μg/L. The concentrations of selenium were 13.3±3.5 μg/L. The concentrations were similar as published in adults. The values did not correlated with the age, gender and severity of the disease., Conclusion: We evaluated values of selenium and manganese in cerebrospinal fluid of seriously diseased children., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The aim of this study was to develop an osteo-inductive resorbable layer allowing the controlled elution of antibiotics to be used as a bone/implant bioactive interface particularly in the case of prosthetic joint infections, or as a preventative procedure with respect to primary joint replacement at a potentially infected site. An evaluation was performed of the vancomycin release kinetics, antimicrobial efficiency and cytocompatibility of collagen/hydroxyapatite layers containing vancomycin prepared employing different hydroxyapatite concentrations. Collagen layers with various levels of porosity and structure were prepared using three different methods: by means of the lyophilisation and electrospinning of dispersions with 0, 5 and 15wt% of hydroxyapatite and 10wt% of vancomycin, and by means of the electrospinning of dispersions with 0, 5 and 15wt% of hydroxyapatite followed by impregnation with 10wt% of vancomycin. The maximum concentration of the released active form of vancomycin characterised by means of HPLC was achieved via the vancomycin impregnation of the electrospun layers, whereas the lowest concentration was determined for those layers electrospun directly from a collagen solution containing vancomycin. Agar diffusion testing revealed that the electrospun impregnated layers exhibited the highest level of activity. It was determined that modification using hydroxyapatite exerts no strong effect on vancomycin evolution. All the tested samples exhibited sufficient cytocompatibility with no indication of cytotoxic effects using human osteoblastic cells in direct contact with the layers or in 24-hour infusions thereof. The results herein suggest that nano-structured collagen-hydroxyapatite layers impregnated with vancomycin following cross-linking provide suitable candidates for use as local drug delivery carriers., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The neurotoxicity brought about by application of toxic and psychotropic substances is accompanied by an activation of astroglial and microglial cells in the brain., Materials and Method: We investigated clinically 42 patients addicted to psychotropic substances (hospitalised in the Motol Teaching Hospital). The NSE, S1OOB, and manganese concentrations in the blood were measured in the patients. In 14 deceased patients with drug evidence in the hair indicating a chronic abuse of addictive substances, the brain tissue glial cells were immunohistochemically labelled with antibody against CD68 and GFAP., Results: In 8 hospitalised patients, there were increased NSE, S100B values in the blood (p < 0.05). Manganese in the blood was increased (3,03±1,9 μg/l, p < 0,05) in all patients. In deceased persons, the CD68 positivity of microglial cells and neurophagy have been proved. GFAP positive astroglial cells have been evidenced in the gray and white matter., Conclusion: The CD68 and GFAP positive glial cells in brain tissue can be a pathomorphological correlate of neurotoxicity in chronic abusers. The neurotoxicity can be monitored with NSE and S100B markers of damaged neuronal cells.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers a series of reactions resulting in cytoskeletal-related changes varying between focal and diffuse injuries., Methods: The patients (n=38) were divided into group of diffuse axonal injuries (DAI, n=10) and focal (n=28) injuries. Serum hyperphosphorylated neurofilaments (NF-H) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were measured by Biovendor immunoassay, and serum S-100B protein was measured by Cobas e411 (Roche) by immunoassay. Immunohistochemistry was performed with monoclonal antibodies (Chemicon, USA)., Results: The median serum S-100B concentration was higher in patients with focal mass lesions (1.72±0.4 μg/l vs. 0.37±0.1 μg/l, p<0,05) compared to patients with DAI during 10 days of hospitalisation. With respect to all patients, the highest peak of serum S-100B values (4.21±1.1 μg/l) and GFAP (8.58±2.4 μg/l) were found in expansive lesions. The median serum NF-H was higher in DAI compared to focal TBI (0.625±0.14 vs 0.139±0.02 ng/l, p<0.05) during all 10 days after admission. Further, immunohistochemical investigation, in deceased patients with DAI , using NF-H antibody proved positive varicose and waving axons, and retraction balls. Time-dependent profile of serum NF-H demonstrated the increase of values within 4th up to 10th day in both groups. Values ranged from 0.263 up to 1.325 ng/l in DAI, and from 0.103 up to 1.108 ng/l in focal injuries. Patients with expansive contusions had similar levels of serum NF-H as patients without expansive lesions. Immunohistochemistry of cytoskeletal proteins presented strong positive staining of vinculin, vimentin in vessels, GFAP, and S-100B in DAI compared to weak staining in expansive lesions., Conclusion: The time-profile kinetics of all markers may reflect different types of pathophysiological changes of the BBB or axonal damage in focal and diffuse injuries., Keywords: brain contusions - diffuse axonal injury - S-100B protein - GFAP - hyperphosphorylated neurofilaments.

Focal cerebral contusion can be dynamic and expansive. It has been proved that subsequent expansive contusion is caused by brain parenchyma damage, especially BBB damage. We investigated a group of patients with traumatic brain injury. The patients (n=18) were divided into group I (n=7) of patients submitted to neurosurgery due to expansive contusion, and group II (n=11) of patients without surgery. Serum concentrations of NSE and S-100B protein were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured by chemiluminescent sequential immunometric assay and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9, MMP-2) were measured by immunoassays. Cortical biopsy specimens of brain were investigated by electron microscopy in patients with trauma brain injury submitted to neurosurgery. Biochemical investigation from first day up to third day after traumatic brain injury proved increased values of IL-6 (302.2+/-119.9 vs. 59.6+/-11.9 ng/l, p<0.02) and S-100B protein (3.064+/-1.064 vs. 0.649+/-0.182 microg/l, p<0.05) in patients with expansive lesion compared to patients without expansive contusion. Significantly higher levels of MMP-9 (150.4+/-28.46 vs. 74.11+/-13.16 ng/l, p<0.05) and of MMP-2 (814.5+/-126.3 vs. 523.1+/-25.28 ng/l, p<0.05) were found during first 3 days after admission in group I compared to group II. MMP-9 has also elevated in group II from lower values after admission (74.11+/-13.16 ng/l) up to high levels on the 10th day of hospitalization (225.1+/-49.35 ng/l). Ultrastructural investigation of endothelial cells and surrounded tissue revealed perivascular hemorrhage, increased pinocytic activity of endothelial cells, and cytotoxic edema of astroglial cells. Multivesical bodies were disclosed inside the endothelial cells. Higher levels of serum protein S-100B and IL-6 correlated with ultrastructural changes of endothelial cells, and with inflammatory response following TBI, respectively.

In this study, we describe changes of plasma levels of the hypothalamic neuropeptide orexin A in obese children during the reduction of body weight and its relationship to other biochemical and anthropometrical parameters. We measured orexin A fasting plasma levels by the RIA method in 58 obese children--33 girls and 25 boys; mean age 13.1+/-0.38 years (range 7-18.5) before and after 5 weeks of weight-reduction therapy. Leptin, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 levels were measured in all the subjects and were compared to orexin A levels and anthropometrical data. Average weight in subjects before weight-reduction was 74.2+/-2.79 kg and after weight-loss 67.4+/-2.60 kg (p<0.0001). Orexin A levels before the therapy were 33.3+/-1.97 pg/ml and after the therapy 51.7+/-3.07 pg/ml (p<0.0001). Levels of orexin A were not significantly different between girls and boys (p=0.7842). We found negative correlation between orexin A and age (r = -0.5395; p<0.0001), body height (r = -0.4751; p=0.0002), body weight (r = -0.4030; p=0.0017) and BMI (r = -0.2607; p=0.0481). No correlation was found between orexin A and IGF-1, IGFBP-3 or leptin. Orexin A plasma levels increased during body weight loss, whereas the reverse was true for leptin levels. These findings support the hypothesis that orexin A may be involved in regulation of nutritional status in children.