Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego
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Protein Z (PZ) is a 6.2 kDa vitamin K-dependent protein, synthesized in the liver. The gene for human PZ is localized to chromosome 13 at band 34 q. The structure of PZ is very similar to that of factors VII, IX, X and protein C. ⋯ Protein Z deficiency may induce bleeding as well as prothrombotic tendencies and might occur as an inherited disorder. Protein Z deficiency may aggravate mild bleeding tendency in subjects with diagnosed borderline decrease in von Willebrand factor and factor VII activity. Patients presenting with factor V Leiden mutation and low protein Z levels show earlier onset and higher frequency of thromboembolic events comparing to patients with normal protein Z levels.
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Pol. Merkur. Lekarski · Jul 2003
Review[Potential role of environmental and occupational pollutants in the etiological pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and usually fatal lung disease of no identifiable etiology, which is characterised by fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix accumulation resulting in irreversible distortion of the architecture of the lung. Some studies suggest the role of various environmental exposure and occupational pollutants in the etiopathogenesis of IPF. ⋯ This article is a review of studies searching for potential etiological factors of IPF in the environment in the place of living and place of working. It seems, that conflicting results of these studies make impossible to determine the potential role of environmental and occupational pollutants in the pathogenesis of IPF.
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Pol. Merkur. Lekarski · Jul 2003
[Gabapentin in the treatment of neuropathic pain in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].
Assessment of pain relief in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with neuropathic pain treated with gabapentin at daily dose 2400 mg. ⋯ The neurophysiological examinations carried out in the patients with sensory neuropathy demonstrated a significant conduction impairment in sensory and motor nerves as well as in sympathetic sweat-secreting nerves. After six weeks of gabapentin treatment in 2400 mg daily dose a significant pain reduction was observed, assessed by means of SF-MPQ, VAS and PPI questionnaires. The authors have demonstrated a significant analgesic effect of gabapentin in patients with diabetic neuropathy and the suggest administration of this preparation in chronic diabetic neuropathy in order to improve the quality of patients' life.
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Pol. Merkur. Lekarski · Mar 2003
Case Reports[Histiocytosis X of temporal bone in a 5 year old boy].
Histiocytosis X or Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a disease including three less distinctive and overlapping conditions called eosinophilic granuloma (EG), Hand-Schüller-Christian (HSC) disease and Letterer-Siwe (LS) disease. A high index of suspicion is required to diagnose histiocytosis, especially when an ear disease is refractory to medical treatment. ⋯ Bone destruction involved temporal bone and zygomatic process. The role of imaging diagnosis in evaluation of lesion extent with special consideration of CT is presented.
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Pol. Merkur. Lekarski · Mar 2003
[Empathy and motives in choosing medical studies as possible predictors of future physician's career performance].
The article presents an evaluation of empathy level and motives of choosing medical studies as possible predictors of future physicians' career performance. The data for the study was collected based on biographical-environmental charts from the School of Medicine in Gdańsk and questionnaire forms completed by sixth-year students of the faculty of medicine in 1998-1999. The admission test scores and grades obtained during the studies were correlated to the level of empathy and motives of choosing medical studies among the candidates. ⋯ The motives expressed as "Getting the best marks in biology, chemistry and physics at school" and "Getting the job of high social prestige" were significantly correlated with the grades during the first two years of studies. The present admission test seems to be good enough to predict the future students' performance. But it also seems that tools are lacking identifying who wold become a good doctor in future.