We have formalized extracellular and intracellular volume interaction with each other and the influence of these processes on the type of cell growth. The linearized model was verified by stereo metric solution and the results were compared with experimental data. Two theoretical solutions were found: Solution 1, extracellular volume (ECV) was calculated to be about 23% of total body volume (TV). Stereo metric solution suggested the cubic cell cluster formed by 8-cells. This hypothesis (Solution l) explains the ECV to be compatible with the widely accepted value (about 23% of TV). In addition, the 8-cell cluster hypothesis explains the existence of ECV oscillation with the period of about seven days. This hypothesis probably describes the dominant type of growth in humans. Solution 2, in this type of growth, ECV fills about 77% per cent of TV. Instead of the 8-cell cube, in this type of proliferation 4-cells could form a tetrahedron. This type of growth could be beneficial in processes where free space in tissue or organ must be filled for example in peptic ulcer healing and namely in repopulating of free space in a bone after high dose chemotherapy.

The authors test whether for evaluation of the severity of diabetic retinopathy it is possible to use the method of computer assisted mathematical processing of the retinal image. This method is based on the identification of vascular endings in the visualized part of the retina. It is assumed that with the severity of the finding the number of vascular endings increases in conjunction with the process of neogenesis. For assessment of the number of vascular endings the authors use the Adaptive Contrast Control (ACC) method. By a special procedure the vascular endings are identified and their number is assessed in the investigated area of the retina. The method makes it possible to assess in addition to the number of vascular endings also the total length of the vessels, their volume, surface, area they cover and the histogram of the diameter of the vessels. The authors examined 19 patients (38 eyes) with a quite normal finding on the retina. The mean age of the group was 37.3 years. Moreover they examined 10 patients (20 eyes) with middle advanced and advanced non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and 10 patients (20 eyes) with risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy. In every patient a standard digital photograph of the fundus of both eyes size "tif" was made and each picture was subjected to mathematical analysis. The group of patients was divided into three sub-groups (patients with a normal finding, a non-proliferative finding and a finding of proliferative diabetic retinopathy). In the conclusion the authors provide evidence that with increasing severity of the finding on the retina also the number of vascular endings increases.

V praci autoři ověřuji, zda při hodnoceni stupně zavažnosti diabeticke retinopatie lze využit metodu matematickeho zpracovani obrazu sitnice pomoci pocitace.Tato metoda je založena na identifikaci cevnich zakonceni v zobrazene oblasti sitnice. Je stanoven předpoklad, že s růstem zavažnosti nalezu roste i pocet cevnich zakonceni ve spojitosti s procesem neogeneze. Ke zjistěni poctu cevnich zakonceni autoři použivaji metodiku Adaptive ContrastControl (ACC). Specialnim postupem jsou identifikovana cevni zakonceni a je stanoven jejich pocet na sledovane plose sitnice. Metoda umožňuje urcit kromě poctu cevnich zakonceni take celkovou delku cev, jejich objem, povrch, plochu, kterou pokrývaji, a histogram velikosti průměru cev. Bylo vysetřeno 19 pacientů (38 oci) se zcela fyziologickým nalezem na sitnici. Průměrný věk v souboru byl 37,3 roku. Dale bylo vysetřeno 10 pacientů (20 oci) se středně pokrocilou a pokrocilou diabetickou retinopatii a 10 pacientů (20 oci) s rizikovou proliferativni diabetickou retinopatii. U každeho pacienta byla provedena standardni digitalni fotografie ocniho pozadi obou oci ve formatu tifa každý ze snimků byl podroben matematicke analýze. Soubor pacientů byl rozdělenna 3 skupiny (pacienti s fyziologickým nalezem, nalezem neproliferativni a nalezem proliferativni diabeticke retinopatie). Vzavěru autoři prokazuji, že se zvysujicim se stupněm zavažnosti nalezu na retině roste i pocet cevnich zakonceni.

Angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) is involved not only in intracellular volume regulation but also in proliferation control. Since both ACE gene polymorphism (I/D ACE) and ABO blood group determine ACE level in peripheral blood and probably also in bone marrow, the hypothesis to the interindividual differences in survival of leukemic patients was suggested. The data of 25 patients of both sexes with acute myelogenous (AML), acute lymphatic (ALL), chronic myelogenous (CML) and chronic lymphatic (CLL) leukemia treated by conventional were used for the study. The overall survival (SUR) was estimated as the time from the date of diagnosis to the date of death. The difference between patient's individual SUR (iSUR) and median SUR according to the type of leukemia (mSUR) was calculated. This difference (iSUR-mSUR) varied with I/D ACE genotype (p<0.02) but neither with diagnosis nor with ABO blood group. The regression model for iSUR calculation, from mSUR and I/D ACE genotype, has been suggested.

KAŇKOVÁ, KATEŘINA MD, PhD; BERÁNEK, MICHAL; HÁJEK, DOBROSLAV MD, PhD; VLKOVÁ, EVA MD, PhD Author Information

Associations of the genetic polymorphisms in the promoter region and the signal peptide sequence of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta1) gene with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were studied. A total of 245 Caucasian subjects comprised the two groups: NIDDM patients with PDR (n = 73) and NIDDM patients without PDR (n = 172). Allele frequencies of common TGF-beta1 polymorphisms (at positions -988C/A, -800G/A, -509C/T, +869T/C (L10P), and +915G/C (R25P)) were determined by PCR-based methodology. All polymorphisms were in strong linkage disequilibrium (P < 10(-2)). Significantly higher frequencies of both the L allele and the R allele of the signal sequence polymorphisms in PDR subjects were found (after a correction for multiple comparisons, P(corr) < 10(-2) and P(corr) < 10(-4), respectively). Calculated odds ratios (ORs) for the LL and RR genotypes were 2.89 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.6-5.1) and 19.73 (95% CI, 2.6-146.8), respectively. No significant differences between groups were found for the -800G/A and -509C/T polymorphisms. The -988A allele was not represented in our sample. Multiple logistic regression identified age, diabetes duration, and R25P polymorphism as significant predictors (P = 0.002, P = 0.000003, and P = 0.007, respectively). The frequencies of genotype combinations of the -800G/A, -509C/T, L10P, and R25P TGF-beta(1) polymorphisms were significantly different between the PDR and non-PDR groups (chi(2) = 37.83, df = 20, P < 10(-2)). The frequency of haplotype consisting of majority alleles was found significantly associated with PDR (P < 0.03). The presented data indicate that the R25P polymorphisms in the TGF-beta1 gene could be regarded as a strong genetic risk factor for PDR.

The object of the study was to investigate the share of polymorphisms I/D ACE, endothelin-1 4127G/A and TNFb NcoI in the susceptibility to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Genotypes were detected by polymerase chain reactions and determined in a set of 246 Caucasian NIDDM subjects with defined PDR status. The relevance of genotypes and clinical characteristics to the PDR occurrence was tested using multiple linear regression models and discrimination analysis. The best predictive value for PDR was given by a combination of two parameters - NIDDM duration and the TNFb genotype (P<1*10-6 and P=1*10-2, respectively) with a correct retrograde prediction of 82.6%. A comparison of the TNFb NcoI allele frequencies revealed no difference between NIDDM and nondiabetic subjects (n=176), but a statistically significant difference was found between PDR and non-PDR NIDDM subjects (after a correction for the number of comparisons P=0.03); allele b2 being associated with PDR. Our results identified the allele variant TNFb2 being associated with PDR in NIDDM. Diabetes duration and the TNFb NcoI genotype were proved to significantly predict PDR occurrence. The TNFb2 allele could be regarded as a separate genetic risk factor that increases the relative incidence of PDR in patients with NIDDM.

The object of the study was to investigate the share of the polymorphisms I/D ACE, endothelin 1 4127G/A and TNF-β NcoI in the susceptibility to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Genotypes were detected by polymerase chain reactions and determined in a set of 246 Caucasian NIDDM subjects with defined PDR status. The relevance of genotypes and clinical characteristics to the PDR occurrence was tested using multiple linear regression models and discrimination analysis. The best predictive value for PDR was given by a combination of two parameters – NIDDM duration and the TNF-β genotype (p < 1·10–6 and p = 1·10–2, respectively) with a correct retrograde prediction of 82.6%. A comparison of the TNF-β NcoI allele frequencies revealed no difference between NIDDM and nondiabetic subjects (n = 176), but a statistically significant difference was found between PDR and non-PDR NIDDM subjects (after a correction for the number of comparisons p = 0.03), allele β2 being associated with PDR. Our results identified the allele variant TNF-β2 being associated with PDR in NIDDM. Diabetes duration and the TNF-β NcoI genotype were proven to significantly predict PDR occurrence. The TNF-β2 allele could be regarded as a separate genetic risk factor that increases the relative incidence of PDR in patients with NIDDM.

Novel polymorphism G82S in the gene encoding RAGE have been identified. The association of the G82S with skin complications in NIDDM and psoraisis vulgaris was proved. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy was not associated with this polymorphism.

The local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in bone marrow is probably involved in the control of hematopoiesis. Earlier observations suggest the relationship between the frequency of sodium and potassium concentration changes in urine and bone marrow recovery after chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to prove the relationship between sodium and potassium excretion changes in urine and granulocyte counts in peripheral blood after autologous bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The correlation between amplitude maximum FFmax of F=d[Na]/d[K], where d[Na] and d[K] are changes of sodium and potassium excretions in 24 h, and granulocytes, recorded k days later, was found in 12 patients with autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and/or PBSCT. In patients with successful engraftment, k ranged from 4 to 7 days. In the patient with unsuccessful BMT, k was 12 days. The results imply the interaction between systemic and bone marrow RAS.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between 24-h blood pressure parameters, insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin I converting enzyme gene and the ABO blood group system in a sample of the general Czech population. Fourteen parameters describing the 24-h blood pressure readings were obtained by analyzing blood pressure records in 243 volunteers, 119 men and 124 women. These parameters were adjusted for sex and body mass index (BMI) by means of multiple regression test. All subjects were genotyped for the insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin I converting enzyme (I/D ACE) gene and routinely examined for the blood group phenotype in the ABO system. An association was found between the interaction of I/D ACE gene polymorphism and ABO blood group system on the one hand and mean values of systolic (p=0.016) or mean arterial (p=0.027) blood pressures and the phase shift of 24-h BP rhythm (p=0.036) on the other hand. Among three I/D ACE variants the DD genotype was associated with the highest values of mean blood pressure in blood group A and AB carriers. The same genotype was associated with the lowest blood pressures in blood group B and O carriers. In subjects with the DD genotype, the earlier daily position of the maximum of 24-h BP rhythm was found in blood group B, AB and O carriers. On the contrary, blood group A was associated with the latest position of maximum of the 24-h BP rhythm in the DD genotypes.

To prove whether the interaction between insertion/deletion (I/D) angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) and M235T angiotensinogen (AGT) gene polymorphic alleles could contribute to causing essential hypertension, we examined subjects from the Czech Republic (365 Caucasians total; 202 normotensives and 163 hypertensives). Subjects were genotyped for insertion/deletion polymorphism of ACE (I/D ACE, intron 16) and for M235T polymorphism of angiotensinogen gene (AGT, exon 2) by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The case-control approach was used. Fisher's exact test followed by Holmes's test to overcome the problem of multiple comparisons were used for the statistical analysis of data. No association of single gene allelic variants with essential hypertension was found in our population. Having compared only double homozygote combinations, the association of the DDMM genotype with essential hypertension was proven (P = 0.0081). To the contrary, IITT (P = 0.0086) was found more frequently in normotensive subjects. We conclude that the interaction of the I/D ACE and M235T AGT polymorphic alleles can contribute to essential hypertension, despite the absence of single gene associations with the condition.

Associations of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism and blood groups of the AB0 system in leukemias compared with controls and hypertensives were detected in Czech population.

The study was objected to the comparison of the results of lung diffusion estimated by oxygen to those of routinely used single breath carbon monoxide method. The method described is based on the analysis of the speed of response of arterial partial oxygen pressure (paO2) to increasing inspiratory fraction of oxygen (Fi). The transcutaneous oximetry was used to follow paO2 by means of transcutaneous oxygen pressure (ptCO2). The study was performed on 35 patients of both sexes with interstitial lung involvement with normal or only slightly decreased FVC and FEV1. The close correlation between the results of both methods was proved (r = 0.848, p < 0.0001).

This research study provides the characterization of mass percent of protein-based particulate matter in total ambient particulate matter collected in a metropolitan area of NC. The project determined the percentages of protein-based ambient bioaerosols for particles in the 2.5–10 μm range and for particles in the range of 2.5 μm or less in 298 samples taken over a six-month period. The analysis of total protein mass was used as an all-inclusive indicator of biologically based aerosols. These organic bioaerosols may have nucleated with inorganic non-biological aerosols, or they may be combined with inert aerosols. The source of these bioaerosols may be any combination of pollen, mold, bacteria, insect debris, fecal matter, or dander, and they may induce irritational, allergic, infectious, and chemical responses in exposed individuals. Ambient samples of PM2.5 and PM10−2.5 were analyzed for gravimetric mass and total protein mass. The results for 19 of 24 sample periods indicated that between 1% and 4% of PM10−2.5 and between 1% and 2% of PM2.5 mass concentrations were made of ambient protein bioaerosols. (The remaining 5 of 24 sample periods yielded protein results which were below detectable limits.)

Prace popisuje fluktuace koncentraci elektrolytů u pacientů po jednotlive davce metylprednisonu.