Neutrophils are frequently found in the cytological picture of synovial fluid in several joint pathologies, and a higher proportion of them can even wrongly indicate these cases as purulent inflammation. For reliable differentiation between purulent and non-purulent cases, we use the cytological energy analysis of the synovial fluid. Using this method, we examined 350 knee joint synovial fluid samples. Overall, we found that the percentage of neutrophils ranged between 20.0% and 50.0% in 44 (12.6%) cases and was above 50.0% in 231 (66.0%) cases. In the same group, only 85 (24.3%) highly anaerobic synovial fluid samples were evaluated as purulent inflammation, and another 17 (4.9%) cases were evaluated as very likely purulent inflammation. Further, we quantified the immediate risk of purulent inflammation using the "purulent score" (PS). Of the total of 350 samples, 103 (29.4%) cases were classified as having a very high risk of purulent inflammation (PS = 4), 53 (15.1%) cases were classified as having a significant risk of purulent inflammation (PS = 3), 17 (4.9%) cases were classified as having a moderate risk of purulent inflammation (PS = 2), and 75 (21.4%) cases were classified as having no immediate risk of purulent inflammation (PS = 1). Based on our results and analyses, the cytological energy analysis of synovial fluid is an effective method that can be used to detect and specify joint inflammation and the risk of septic arthritis development.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Laboratory analysis of basic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters is considered as essential for any CSF evaluation. It can provide rapidly very valuable information about the status of the central nervous system (CNS). Our retrospective study evaluated parameters of basic CSF analysis in cases of either infectious or non-infectious CNS involvement. Neutrophils are effector cells of innate immunity. Predominance of neutrophils was found in 98.2% of patients with purulent inflammation in CNS. Lymphocytes are cellular substrate of adaptive immunity. We found their predominance in 94.8% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), 66.7% of patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), 92.2% of patients with neuroborreliosis, 83.3% of patients with inflammatory response with oxidative burst of macrophages in CNS and 75.0% of patients with malignant infiltration of meninges (MIM). The simultaneous assessment of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in CSF using the coefficient of energy balance (KEB) allows us to specify the type of inflammation in CNS. We found predominantly aerobic metabolism (KEB > 28.0) in 100.0% CSF of patients with normal CSF findings and in 92.8% CSF of patients with MS. Predominant faintly anaerobic metabolism (28.0 > KEB > 20.0) in CSF was found in 71.8% patients with TBE and in 64.7% patients with neuroborreliosis. Strong anaerobic metabolism (KEB < 10.0) was found in the CSF of 99.1% patients with purulent inflammation, 100.0% patients with inflammatory response with oxidative burst of macrophages and in 80.6% patients with MIM. Joint evaluation of basic CSF parameters provides sufficient information about the immune response in the CSF compartment for rapid and reliable diagnosis of CNS involvement.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the resulting coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) have spread all around the world since 2019 and have affected millions of people. The development of COVID-19 vaccines helped to decelerate the spread of the virus. However, as in the case of vaccines against other infectious diseases, adverse events can also present with COVID-19 vaccines. CASE PRESENTATION: We report here a rare case of a 53-year-old man with knee-joint synovitis, after the first dose of messenger RNA vaccine, with no fever and a negative COVID-19 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test. During a clinical examination the suspicion of pyogenic arthritis was excluded by blood tests and by a complex joint effusion examination, including a microbiological and cytological-energy analysis of the synovial fluid. The treatment received by our patient consisted of 3 doses of dexamethasone administered intravenously over a period of 3 days. All the symptoms improved after this therapy, and in the 3-week follow-up period we recorded full recovery with no consequences. CONCLUSION: Case reports on patients undergoing COVID-19 vaccination should be examined in order to detect rare and long-term side-effects. This is the first report to present the outcomes of an ultrastructural analysis of post-vaccination synovitis.

• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• kolenní kloub MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• synoviální tekutina MeSH
• synovitida * MeSH
• vakcinace MeSH
• vakcíny proti COVID-19 MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• kazuistiky MeSH

The simultaneous cytological and metabolic investigation of various extravascular body fluids (EBFs) provides clinically relevant information about the type and intensity of the immune response in particular organ systems. The oxidative burst of professional phagocytes with the concomitant production of reactive oxygen species consumes a large amount of oxygen and is the cause of switch to the development of anaerobic metabolism. We assessed the relationships between percentages of neutrophils, aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, and tissue damage via the determination of aspartate aminotransferase catalytic activities (AST) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), pleural effusions (PE), abdominal effusions (AE), and synovial fluids (SF). EBFs with 0.0-20.0% neutrophils: 83.0% aerobic and 1.3% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 13.8 IU/L in CSF; 68.0% aerobic and 9.0% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 20.4 IU/L in PE; 77.5% aerobic and 10.5% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 18.0 IU/L in AE; 64.1% aerobic and 7.7% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 13.8 IU/L in SF. EBFs with 80.0-100.0% neutrophils: 4.2% aerobic and 73.7% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 19.2 IU/L in CSF; 7.4% aerobic and 77.3% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 145.2 IU/L in PE; 11.8% aerobic and 73.7% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 61.8 IU/L in AE; 25.5% aerobic and 38.2% strongly anaerobic cases with median of AST = 37.2 IU/L in SF. The significant presence of neutrophils, concomitant strong anaerobic metabolism, and elevated AST in various EBFs are reliable signs of damaging purulent inflammation.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Human toxocariasis is a helminthozoonosis caused by the migration of Toxocara species larvae through an organism. The infection in humans is transmitted either by direct ingestion of the eggs of the parasite, or by consuming undercooked meat infested with Toxocara larvae. This parasitosis can be found worldwide, but there are significant differences in seroprevalence in different areas, depending mainly on hot climate conditions and on low social status. However, the literature estimates of seroprevalence are inconsistent. Infected patients commonly present a range of symptoms, e.g., abdominal pain, decreased appetite, restlessness, fever, and coughing. This manuscript presents a case report of a polytraumatic patient who underwent a two-phase spinal procedure for a thoracolumbar fracture. After the second procedure, which was a vertebral body replacement via thoracotomy, the patient developed a pathologic pleural effusion. A microscopic cytology examination of this effusion revealed the presence of Toxocara species larvae. Although the patient presented no specific clinical symptoms, and the serological exams (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot) were negative, the microscopic evaluation enabled a timely diagnosis. The patient was successfully treated with albendazole, with no permanent sequelae of the infection.

• MeSH
• ELISA MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• paraziti * MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• sociální status MeSH
• Toxocara MeSH
• toxokaróza * diagnóza   farmakoterapie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• kazuistiky MeSH

Extravasation of blood in the central nervous system (CNS) represents a very strong damaged associated molecular patterns (DAMP) which is followed by rapid inflammation and can participate in worse outcome of patients. We analyzed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 139 patients after the CNS hemorrhage. We compared 109 survivors (Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) 5-3) and 30 patients with poor outcomes (GOS 2-1). Statistical evaluations were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test. Almost the same numbers of erythrocytes in both subgroups appeared in days 0-3 (p = 0.927) and a significant increase in patients with GOS 2-1 in days 7-10 after the hemorrhage (p = 0.004) revealed persistence of extravascular blood in the CNS as an adverse factor. We assess 43.3% of patients with GOS 2-1 and only 27.5% of patients with GOS 5-3 with low values of the coefficient of energy balance (KEB < 15.0) in days 0-3 after the hemorrhage as a trend to immediate intensive inflammation in the CNS of patients with poor outcomes. We consider significantly higher concentration of total protein of patients with GOS 2-1 in days 0-3 after hemorrhage (p = 0.008) as the evidence of immediate simultaneously manifested intensive inflammation, swelling of the brain and elevation of intracranial pressure.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Cíl studie: Porovnání diagnostické efektivity vyšetření pleurálních výpotků dle Lightových pravidel s jejich cytologicko-energetickou analýzou. Typ studie: Retrospektivní. Název a sídlo pracoviště: Biomedicínské centrum, Krajská zdravotní, a. s. - Masarykova nemocnice v Ústí nad Labem, o. z.; Ústav klinické imunologie a alergologie, LF UK v Hradci Králové a FN v Hradci Králové; Laboratoř pro likvorologii, neuroimunologii, patologii a speciální diagnostiku Topelex, s. r. o.; Oddělení hrudní chirurgie, Krajská zdravotní, a. s. - Masarykova nemocnice v Ústí nad Labem, o. z.; Oddělení klinické biochemie, Krajská zdravotní, a. s. - Masarykova nemocnice v Ústí nad Labem, o. z. Materiál a metody: Náš soubor pro tuto studii zahrnuje 96 případů nezánětlivých pleurálních výpotků od pacientů s kardiálním postižením či systémovou sepsí, 211 případů pleurálních výpotků od pacientů s purulentní pneumonií a 283 případů pleurálních výpotků od pacientů s hrudním empyémem. Ve všech případech jsme provedli vyšetření vybraných parametrů dle Lightových pravidel (počet jaderných elementů na 1 μl, koncentrace celkové bílkoviny, glukózy a laktátu a katalytická aktivita laktátdehydrogenázy (LDH)) a kompletní cytologicko-energetickou analýzu (četnost neutrofilních granulocytů, výpočet koeficientu energetické bilance (KEB) a katalytická aktivita aspartátaminotrasferázy (AST)). Pro statistické zhodnocení souboru jsme použili Kruskal-Wallisův test s vícenásobným porovnáním p-hodnot a ROC analýzu. Výsledky: Na úrovni všech zmíněných parametrů dle Lightových kritérií i cytologicko-energetické analýzy nacházíme při porovnání nezánětlivých a zánětlivých výpotků statisticky významné rozdíly (p < 0,01). Při porovnání výpotků pacientů s purulentními pneumoniemi a hrudními empyémy nacházíme statisticky významné diference (p < 0,01) v případě „Lightových“ počtů jaderných elementů, koncentrací celkové bílkoviny a laktátu a katalytických aktivit LDH a „cytologicko-energetických“ hodnot KEB a katalytických aktivit AST. Pro rozlišení nezánětlivých a parapneumonických výpotků dosáhly vysokou diagnostickou efektivitu „Lightovy“ koncentrace glukózy (AUC = 0,981), laktátu (AUC = 0,970) a katalytické aktivity LDH (AUC = 0,962) a „cytologicko- energetické“ četnosti neutrofilních granulocytů (AUC = 0,982), hodnoty KEB (AUC = 0,999) a katalytické aktivity AST (AUC = 0,954).Pro rozlišení nezánětlivých výpotků a výpotků pacientů s hrudními empyémy dosáhly vysokou diagnostickou efektivitu „Lightovy“ počty jaderných elementů (AUC = 0,939), koncentrace glukózy (AUC = 0,967), laktátu (AUC = 0,987) a katalytické aktivity LDH (AUC = 0,984) a „cytologicko-energetické“ četnosti neutrofilních granulocytů (AUC = 0,985), hodnoty KEB (AUC = 0,991) a katalytické aktivity AST (AUC = 0,979). Podstatně nižších diagnostických efektivit všech sledovaných parametrů bylo dosaženo při diferenciaci parapneumonických výpotků a výpotků pacientů s hrudními empyémy: „Lightovy“ počty jaderných elementů (AUC = 0,714), koncentrace glukózy (AUC = 0,631), laktátu (AUC = 0,721), celkové bílkoviny (AUC = 0,537) a katalytických aktivit LDH (AUC = 0,710) a „cytologicko-energetické“ četnosti neutrofilních granulocytů (AUC = 0,553), hodnot KEB (AUC = 0,671) a katalytických aktivit AST (AUC = 0,718). Závěr: Předností cytologicko-energetické analýzy oproti analýze pleurálních výpotků dle Lightových kritérií je charakteristika lokální imunitní odpovědi s ohledem na její energetické nároky. Obě metodiky se vhodně doplňují. V žádném případě si ale neodporují.

Objective: Comparison of diagnostic efficiency of Light's parameters with cytological-energy analysis parameters of pleural effusion. Design: retrospective. Settings: Biomedical Centre, Krajská zdravotní, a. s. - Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem, o. z.; Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague; Laboratory for Cerebrospinal Fluid, Neuroimmunology, Pathology and Special Diagnostics Topelex, s.r.o; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Krajská zdravotní, a.s. - Masaryk Hospital in Usti nad Labem, o.z.; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Krajská zdravotní, a.s. – Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem, o.z. Material and Methods: The 96 samples of noninflammatory pleural effusions of patients with cardiac failure or systemic sepsis, the 211 samples of pleural effusions of patients with purulent pneumonia and the 283 samples of pleural effusions of patients with chest empyema were analysed. In all cases, we analysed selected parameters of Light criteria (total number of nuclear elements in 1 μl, concentration of total protein, glucose, lactate and catalytic activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) and parameters of cytological-energy analysis (frequency of neutrophils, KEB value and catalytic activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST)). Statistical analysis was performed using the ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test and ROC-analysis. Results: We found significant differences of parameters of Light‘s criteria and cytological-energy analysis between inflammatory and noninflammatory pleural effusions (p < 0.01). We found significant differences between patients with purulent pneumonia and chest empyema (p < 0.01). Light's criteria parameters included total number of nuclear elements, concentration of total protein, lactate and catalytic activities of LDH. Cytological-energy parameters included KEB value and catalytic activities of AST. We found high diagnostic accuracy of ,,Light's‘‘ concentration of glucose (AUC = 0.981), lactate (AUC = 0.970) and catalytic activities of LDH (AUC = 0.962) and ,,cytological-energy‘‘ frequency of neutrophils (AUC = 0.982), KEB values (AUC = 0.999) and catalytic activities of AST (AUC = 0.954) to distinguish between noninflammatory and parapneumonic pleural effusions. We found high diagnostic accuracy of „Light's“ total number of nuclear elements (AUC = 0.939), concentration of glucose (AUC = 0.967), lactate (AUC = 0.987) and catalytic activities of LDH (AUC = 0.984) and ,,cytological-energy‘‘ frequency of neutrophils (AUC = 0.985), KEB values (AUC = 0.991) and catalytic activities of AST (AUC = 0.979) to distinguish between noninflammatory pleural effusions and pleural effusions of patients with chest empyema. We found low diagnostic accuracy of all parameters to distinguish parapneumonic effusion and pleural effusion of patients with chest empyema: „Light's“ total number nuclear elements (AUC = 0.714), concentration of glucose (AUC = 0.631), lactate (AUC = 0.721), total protein (AUC = 0.537) and catalytic activities of LDH (AUC = 0.710) and „cytological-energy‘‘ frequency of neutrophils (AUC = 0.553), KEB values (AUC = 0.671) and catalytic activities of AST (AUC = 0.718). Conclusion: The advantage of cytological-energy analysis versus Light's criteria parameters is in their abilities to characterize a local immune response considering the energy state. Both methods complement each other appropriately. In any case, they do not contradict each other.

• Klíčová slova
• Lightova kritéria,
• MeSH
• empyém pleurální diagnóza   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pleurální výpotek * diagnóza   metabolismus   MeSH
• pneumonie diagnóza   metabolismus   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH

Brain ischemia after central nervous system (CNS) bleeding significantly influences the final outcome of patients. Catalytic activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to detect brain ischemia were determined in this study. The principal aim of our study was to compare the dynamics of AST in 1956 CSF samples collected from 215 patients within a 3-week period after CNS hemorrhage. We compared concentrations of the AST catalytic activities in the CSF of two patient groups: survivors (Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) 5-3) and patients in a vegetative state or dead (GOS 2-1). All statistical evaluations were performed using mixed models and the F-test adjusted by Kenward and Roger and the Bonferroni adjustment for multiple tests. The significantly higher catalytic activities of AST in the CSF from patients with the GOS of 2-1 when compared to those who survived (GOS 5-3, p = 0.001) were found immediately after CNS haemorrhage. In the further course of time, the difference even increased (p < 0.001). This study confirmed the key association between early signs of brain damage evidenced as an elevated AST activity and the prediction of the final patient's clinical outcome. The study showed that the level of AST in the CSF could be the relevant diagnostic biomarker of the presence and intensity of brain tissue damage.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: The predominance of neutrophils in pleural effusions of patients with different serious impairments of the pleural cavity organs is often found. The aim of this study was to identify the type of injury using the cytological-energy analysis of pleural effusions. METHODS: We analysed 635 samples of pleural effusions with predominance of neutrophils. We compared the values of the coefficient of energy balance (KEB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) catalytic activities in the following subgroups of patients: with transudative effusions, purulent pneumonia, chest empyema and after chest surgery with and without purulent complications. Statistical analysis was performed using the ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.05 was considered as significant). RESULTS: We found the lowest KEB values in pleural effusions of patients with chest empyema and their gradual increases in patients with purulent pneumonia and with transudative effusions. We observed the highest LDH and AST enzymes activity in patients with chest empyema and their gradual decrease in patients with purulent pneumonia and with transudative effusions. LDH and AST enzymes activity was significantly higher in pleural effusions of patients after chest surgery with purulent complications compared with non-purulent cases. CONCLUSION: The most intensive inflammation and the most extensive tissue destruction in the pleural cavity were found in patients with chest empyema. Significantly better parameters were observed in patients with purulent pneumonia. The absence of serious inflammation and the absence of tissue destruction were typical for patients with transudative effusions. Finally, our results confirmed an anticipated higher tissue destruction in patients after chest surgery. Significantly worse injury was found in surgical patients with purulent complications compared with non-purulent ones. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

• MeSH
• aspartátaminotransferasy analýza   MeSH
• biologické markery analýza   MeSH
• empyém pleurální diagnóza   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• energetický metabolismus * MeSH
• hrudní chirurgické výkony škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• L-laktátdehydrogenasa analýza   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neutrofily imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• pleurální výpotek diagnóza   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• pneumonie diagnóza   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• pooperační komplikace diagnóza   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH