Relationship between elastin-derived peptides and the development of microvascular complications: a longitudinal study in children with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus

Levels of elastin-derived peptides (EDP) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera of 28 children with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (mean age 11.6+/-2.8 years, diabetes duration 5.1+/-2.5 years). None of the children had clinical or laboratory evidence of vascular complications. The children were followed over a period of 6 years, and 24 healthy children of similar age and sex served as a control group. During the investigative period, 10 diabetic patients had increased EDP levels, with 9 having been diabetic for more than 5 years and 1 patient less than 5 years. Seven of these patients developed diabetic microvascular complications. In this group, EDP were independently associated with age (r=.39, P=.047), retinopathy (r=.48, P=.034), and antibodies to advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) (r=.52, P=.018). The data of this pilot study are not strong enough to appear that EDP are a useful predictor of subsequent development of microvascular complications. This may be due to the small number of subjects, short duration of the study, manner in which EDP or the endpoints were measured, or frequency of which EDP measurements were made. Further prospective and longer studies of larger populations are needed to identify the role of EDP as an early marker for the development of diabetic microvascular complications.     

Cytological diagnosis of salivary gland tumors]

The rationale of using clinical cytodiagnostics for preoperative recognition of salivary gland neoplasms is shown. As a result of using diagnostic puncturing in 44 examined patients the character of the pathological process was precisely determined in 88.6%, and the tumor was typed histologically in 66.7%.     

Brain glioblastoma with metastases into the cervical and lumbar lymph nodes

An observation of cerebral glioblastoma transformed from dedifferentiated astrocytoma with metastasis into cervical and lumbar lymph nodes is presented. Growth of the tumour into the area of scars in dura mater formed after repeated operations for the tumour removal contributed to metastasizing.     

Insect allergens in the human dwelling

The paper considers the insect fauna of a human dwelling as a risk factor for patients with respiratory allergic diseases with domestic dust hypersensitivity. It shows that cockroaches, moths, domestic dust ticks, and molds may be additional sources of allergens within the human dwelling. The paper also lends support of an important role of cockroaches and their vital activity in the development of respiratory allergy and shows their implication as inhalation allergens.     

Perspectives of prevention of postoperative neuropathic pain syndrome in cancer patients

The paper deals with the anesthesiological problems in the prevention and therapy of neuropathic pain syndrome (NPS), including phantom pain syndrome (PPS) at different stages of surgical treatment in a cancer patient. A prospective study has been conducted; a protocol has been elaborated for the management of patients with preoperative chronic pain syndrome and those at a high risk for NPS after cancer operations associated with damage to nerve structures. A clinical case of successful therapy for severe NPS in a female patient after 4 surgical interventions, including exarticulation of the upper limb, is described. The undertaken prevention of NPS and its treatment policy that is based on the current views of the mechanisms responsible for this type of pain and included, in addition to opioid analgesics, different types of antineuropathic agents, including the recent generation anticonvulsant gabapentin (neurontin), are analyzed and investigated in detail.