Rhabdomyolysis as a side effect of simvastatin treatment

Myopathy and rhabdomyolysis are rare adverse effects of treatment with hydroxymethylglutaryl-coA reductase inhibitors. The risk of adverse effects is increased with the concomitant use of statin and specific drugs that can induce myopathy, in patients with liver and renal function impairment, hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. The clinical picture of rhabdymyolysis with acute renal failure caused by the use of simvastatin in a 54-year-old patient with diabetes mellitus and hypertension is described.     

Investigation of the morphology of cell clones, derived from the mammalian EBTr cell line and their susceptibility to vaccine avian poxvirus strains FK and Dessau

The ability for replication of vaccine avian pox viral strains FK and Dessau in cell clones, derived from the EBTr cell line, derived from embryonic bovine trachea, was studied. The derived seven cell clones showed different morphological characteristics and diverse sensitivity to both vaccine avian pox viral strains. Hence, the EBTr-derived cell clones could be used for cultivation, as well as for differentiation of vaccine avian pox viral strains. In addition, studies have been undertaken to elucidate the possible use of cultivated strains in these heterologous cell culture system's vaccine avian pox viral strains for biotechnology, as well as for solving problems, related to infection of people with avian viruses.     

A phase I dose escalation study of oral bexarotene in combination with intravenous decitabine in patients with AML

The response rate of non‐M3 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to all trans retinoic acid has been limited. Using Affymetrix expression arrays, we found that in diverse AML blasts RXRA was expressed at higher levels than RARA and that mouse Ctsg‐PML‐RARA leukemia responded to bexarotene, a ligand for RXRA. We therefore performed a phase I study of combination bexarotene and decitabine in elderly and relapsed AML patients. We found that this combination was well tolerated, although outcomes were modest (1 CRi, and 3 PR among 19 patients). Correlative studies found that patients with clinical response had increased differentiation to bexarotene both in vivo and ex vivo, suggesting that pre‐treatment analysis might identify a more susceptible subgroup of patients. Am. J. Hematol. 89:E103–E108, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Carcinoma of the breast: information on tumoral disease in hospitalized patients

Information on their disease, received from 100 patients hospitalized for breast cancer, is assessed. Through analysis of the replies to a questionnaire on information obtained before and after treatment, it emerges that 60% of the patients had received information about the disease and that 45% knew that the diagnosis was cancer. The study confirms the importance for physicians to use uniform language, consistent with the personality of each patient.     

A feasibility study of realtime telemedicine in Croatia using Internet videoconferencing

We explored the feasibility of realtime telemedicine in Croatia using Internet videoconferencing. A 33 kbit/s link was established between a team of specialists in the General Hospital 'Sveti Duh' in Zagreb and a general practitioner's clinic in Selca, on the island of Brac. During a two-week study, 16 patients (median age 51 years) were studied. Twenty-one teleconsultations (seven initial and 14 follow-up visits) were conducted, 13 with a specialist in internal medicine, six with a surgeon and two with a neurologist. In 18 cases (86%) telemedicine successfully replaced hands-on examination. The mean duration of the teleconsultations was 7.2 min (initial visits 7.4 min, follow-up visits 7.1 min). Each computer system cost about US$700. The total connection cost for the study was US$4.95. The teleconsultations saved the patients US$272 in travel costs. We suggest forming a permanent on-line specialist service connected to networked clinics via the Internet to improve access to health-care in Croatia.     

Congenital pleural effusion: prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis and therapeutic management

A case of fetal pleural effusion detected by ultrasound at 33 weeks of gestation is described.     

Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells are more potent suppressors of dendritic cells differentiation compared to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Both mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and dendritic cells (DCs) are engaged in the regulation of the immune response parallel to their numerous functions.The main objective of this study was to compare the effects of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from human adipose tissue or human bone marrow on the expression of specific cell surface markers as well as the secretion of some cytokines by monocyte-derived dendritic cells. The set of methods used includes cell cultures, magnetic beads isolation of cells, flow cytometry, ELISA and proteome profiler kit assays. The results obtained show that MSCs isolated from human adipose tissue are more potent immunomodulators of differentiation of human DCs in comparison to the bone marrow-derived MSCs. In both cases the percentages of CD14+ cells were increased in co-cultures of MSCs and DCs and at the same time down-regulated the expression of CD80, CD86 and CD83 as in all experiments the effect of adipose tissue MSCs was stronger. Similarly, the secretion of IL-10 by dendritic cells was up-regulated in co-cultures of MSCs and dendritic cells and the effect was stronger when adipose tissue-derived MSCs were used.Taken together all results presented reveal the higher potential of the adipose tissue-derived MSCs to inhibit the differentiation and expression of functionally important co-stimulatory molecules on the surface of monocyte-derived dendritic cells than the bone marrow-derived MSCs.