Myocardial perfusion GSPECT imaging in patients with myocardial bridging

Background  

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, reversibility, and severity of LV perfusion abnormalities in patients with isolated myocardial bridges using a gated myocardial perfusion SPECT study (GSPECT).     

A comparative molecular surface analysis (COMSA). A new efficient technique for drug design

Several applications of the COMSA were discussed including a series of the potential anti-HIV drugs and a series of dyes.     

Trimetazidine limits the effects of myocardial ischaemia during percutaneous coronary angioplasty

This open-label, randomised, controlled study is aimed at assessing the effect of pre-treatment with the metabolic agent trimetazidine on the degree of ischaemia during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Overall 44 patients with one-vessel coronary artery stenosis (> 70%) in the medial part of the left anterior descending artery were included. One group (n = 22) was pre-treated with oral trimetazidine. The other group (n = 22) was the control. All patients (n = 44) were administered aspirin and conventional treatment. All patients underwent PTCA; stents were implanted in 11 trimetazidine patients and in seven control patients. The mean ST-segment elevation during all balloon inflations was significantly lower in the trimetazidine group than in the control group (-1.66 +/- 1.50 mm vs. 3.29 +/- 1.59 mm, p = 0.001). Maximal ST-segment elevations and mean ST elevation values during sequential balloon inflations were also significantly lower with trimetazidine (p = 0.018). The mean amplitude of the T-wave alterations during all balloon inflations was significantly lower with trimetazidine (3.09 +/- 2.39 mm vs. 6.83 +/- 4.31 mm; p = 0.001). Similarly, the maximal amplitude of the T-wave alterations was 4.50 +/- 2.90 mm with trimetazidine vs. 9.25 +/- 4.97 mm in control patients (p = 0.0005). Angina and rhythm disturbances were more frequent in the control group. Time from balloon inflation to onset of angina was 50 +/- 26.2 s with trimetazidine vs. 32 +/- 15.0 s, for control group (p = 0.03). The time to pain relief after deflation was 19.3 +/- 11.4 s with trimetazidine vs. 28.2 +/- 16.8 s (p = 0.001). Trimetazidine administered a few days before PTCA appears to be a cardioprotective agent for the prevention of myocardial ischaemia.     

Clinical and epidemiological analysis of patients with botulism hospitalized at the Department of Infectious Disease,Medical University of Lublin in 1990-2000

In the paper we presented results of clinical and epidemiological analysis of 32 patients with botulism hospitalized at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Lublin in 1990-2000. In the studied group, the relationships between botulism incidence and sex and place of residence were not significant. The incubation period ranged from 7 hours to 5 days (average 36 hrs). The clinical manifestations of botulism were typical in all cases. In one female patient the course of disease was complicated. She developed right-sided bronchopneumonia and left-sided purulent parotitis. The type B botulinum toxin occurred more frequently than the other types and the cases without serological confirmation (Chi 2 = 6.125 p = 0.01). It was found in serum of 23 patients (in 2 cases together with the type A toxin). The type E toxin was found in serum of one patient. The presence of toxin in serum was not detected in 8 patients. In all patients trivalent (types A, B and E) equine antitoxin was administered. The dose ranged from 50 to 150 cm3. Symptomatic treatment was given in all cases. Nobody required mechanical ventilation. The duration of hospitalization ranged from 5 to 28 days (average 16.6 days). A few patients complained of long-lasting blurred vision or dry mouth.     

Prognostic value of exercise tests performed 3 months after coronary artery grafting in evaluation cardiac events. 6 years follow-up

Prognostic value of exercise test in evaluation of cardiac events were examined in 326 pts after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During 6 years follow up 18 (5.5%) cardiac deaths and 23 (7.1%) myocardial infarctions were observed. Chest pains persisted in 116 pts (35.6%) and 37 (11.3%) pts needed hospital treatment. Coronary and bypass angiography were performed in 25 pts (7.7%) followed by PTCA in 8 pts (2.5%) and CABG in 5 (1.5%) pts. Exercise duration and maximal work capacity in exercise tests were significantly lower in pts with cardiac events. Reasons of exercise termination: ST segment depression, heart rate and blood pressure values were not different in pts with and without cardiac events and didn't have prognostic value. Patients with cardiac events had significantly reduced left ventricle function. The value of ejection fraction influenced significantly relative risk of cardiac death (p < 0.05).     

Spatial visualisation and quantification of expression of cell specific markers — an application for chronic parathyroiditis cases

The aim of this work was to develop a simple and fast technique for spatial visualisation of colour cell specific markers in digital microscopy. Colour light microscopy images were transformed into their spatial representation by introducing image brightness as the third dimension. Based on spatial representation, the expression of selected colour specific markers was assessed by their surface, volume, area fraction and colour intensity. This technique was implemented for quantitative analysis of expression of PCNA, Ki67 and bcl-2 in chronic parathyroiditis cases. Comparing to standard, colour sampling techniques, the presented method based on spatial visualisation of the expression of markers in tissue sections, seems an effective and practical application in objective assessment of their distribution in the investigated material.