Medicina
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The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence and severity of precancerous condition--gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia (IM) between Eastern European (Lithuania and Latvia) and Asian (Taiwan) countries in population older than 55 years. ⋯ The prevalence of H. pylori in the elderly population is still high in LT, LV, and TW. There are no significant differences in prevalence of gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia among TW, LT, and LV. There is a strong correlation between gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia.
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Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, affecting 121 million people in whole world. In many developed countries, the number of prescriptions for antidepressants increased steeply during the 1990s. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antidepressant prescribing patterns in all regions of Lithuania during 2003-2004, to analyze the use within different antidepressant groups, and to examine trends in age- and gender-specific antidepressant use. ⋯ There was no increase in the percentage of consumed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in elderly patients when compared with younger ones, despite elderly patients are most likely to benefit from reduced sedation, less antimuscarinic and less cardiac toxicity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The prevalence of the antidepressant use is the highest among middle-aged people (40-59 years), while the young (under 20) and elderly (older than 70) patients receive mostly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Additional studies should be carried out in order to assess drug-prescribing patterns in accordance with the guidelines of depression treatment in Lithuania considering diagnosis, dosage, and duration of treatment.
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Comparative Study
[Relationship between isolation of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and course of hospital-acquired pneumonia].
To evaluate relationship between isolation of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and course of hospital-acquired pneumonia. ⋯ Extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae strains were more frequently isolated from patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia as compared to colonized patients. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae strains were more frequently isolated from patients with late-onset hospital-acquired pneumonia.
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Case Reports Comparative Study
[Prevalence of antibodies to hantavirus among hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal failure in Kaunas and its district].
The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies to hantaviruses among hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal failure in Kaunas and its district. ⋯ Results indicate that antibodies to two hantaviruses (Dobrava/Hantaan virus and Puumala virus) are prevalent among hemodialysis patients in Kaunas district with approximately the same seroprevalence as in neighboring countries.
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Beta-glucans are naturally occurring polysaccharides. These glucose polymers are constituents of the cell wall of certain pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The healing and immunostimulating properties of mushrooms have been known for thousands of years in the Eastern countries. ⋯ These antibodies activate complement system and opsonize tumor cells with iC3b fragment. In contrast to microorganisms, tumor cells, as well as other host cells, lack beta-glucan as a surface component and cannot trigger complement receptor 3-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and initiate tumor-killing activity. This mechanism could be induced in the presence of beta-glucans.