No abstract

Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is the most common complication of tonsillitis. Cultivation usually reveals a wide spectrum of aerobic and anaerobic microbiota. This retrospective study compared PTA incidence and the spectrum of individual microbial findings in groups of patients divided by gender, age, and season. Of the 966 samples cultivated, a positive cultivation finding was detected in 606 patients (62.73%). Cultivation findings were negative in 360 (37.27%), meaning no pathogen was present or only common microbiota was cultivated. The highest incidence of PTA was found in group I patients (19–50 years) (p ≤ 0.0001) and the most frequently cultured pathogens was Streptococcus pyogenes (36.23%). Gender seemed to have an influence on the results, with higher incidence found in males (p ≤ 0.0001). The analysis of correlation between PTA incidence and season did not yield statistically significant results (p = 0.4396) and no statistically significant differences were observed in individual pathogen frequency. PTA had a higher incidence in adult males and a slightly higher incidence in girls in childhood. The following findings are clinically significant and have implications for antibiotic treatment strategy: (1) the most frequently cultivated pathogen was Streptococcus pyogenes; (2) an increased incidence of anaerobes was proven in the oldest group (>50 years).

Summary:The optimal time for starting G-CSF application afterHigh-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral stem autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation cell transplantation (APSCT) has been used for a variety (APSCT) still remains undetermined. All previous studies used 'fixed' days (0 or +1 vs +5 or +7 post-transplant) of hematological, as well as nonhematological maligfor this purpose. As many other drugs have individual, nancies.1 As a consequence of the preparative regimen, patient-dependent criteria (eg antibiotics, blood prodpatients experience a period of profound myelosuppression, ucts, etc), and the discontinuation of G-CSF also has usually lasting 8-12 days. 2 APSCT with the post-transplant strict patient-dependent criteria (surprisingly absent application of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (Gwhen starting the drug) we suppose that attempts to find CSF) can shorten the duration of severe neutropenia. Hence general criteria suitable for every patient may not be the use of this treatment modality has a beneficial effect on successful. In order to also take the patients' individual the duration of fever, antibiotic therapy, parenteral nutrition predispositions into account we designed a randomized and hospitalization. 3-9clinical trial to compare 'immediate' administration of Despite several studies performed in the past few years, 6-13G-CSF (day +1: group A) vs 'delayed, patient-depenthe optimal time for starting G-CSF remains undetermined. dent' (first day when absolute neutrophil count (ANC)The majority of the studies compared 'immediate' adminiswas below 0.5 × 10 9 /l: group B) therapy with G-CSF tration (on days 0 or +1) vs 'delayed' therapy (on days +5 (both groups received 10 g/kg/day i.v.). A total of 70 or +7). The attempts to find general criteria suitable for patients after APSCT suffering from non-Hodgkin's every patient after APSCT may not be successful because lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) conthis population contains patients with several hematological ditioned with BEAM, or from multiple myeloma (MM ) and nonhematological diseases with different and often after melphalan (L-PAM: 200 mg/m 2 ) were enrolled in incomparable parameters (eg status of disease, dose and this study (35 in each group). Both groups were compatype of previous chemotherapy, bone marrow status, type rable with regard to age, sex, disease stage and previous of conditioning regimen, dose of transplanted stem cells, therapy as well as the number of CD34 + cells transtype of mobilization, number and type of infectious compliplanted. In group B, G-CSF administration began on cations, etc). As the discontinuation of G-CSF treatment day +4 post-transplant (+2 -+5). There were no detecthas strict, patient-dependent, criteria (eg 3 consecutive days able differences seen in the hematopoietic recovery with absolute neutrophil count (ANC) higher than (time to reach ANC more than 0.5 × 10 9 /l: 12 days vs 13 1.0 × 10 9

In the sustained presence of agonist, the opening of P2X7R channel is followed by pore dilatation, which causes an increase in its permeability to larger organic cations, accompanied by receptor sensitization. To explore the molecular mechanisms by which the conductivity and sensitivity are increased, we analyzed the electrophysiological properties and YO-PRO-1 uptake of selected alanine mutants in the first and second transmembrane domains of the rat P2X7R. Substitution of residues Y40, F43, G338, and D352 with alanine reduced membrane trafficking, and the D352A was practically non-functional. The Y40A and F43A mutants that were expressed in the membrane lacked pore dilation ability. Moreover, the Y40A and Y40F displayed desensitization, whereas the Y40W partially recovered receptor function. The G338A/S mutations favored the open state of the channel and displayed instantaneous permeability to larger organic cations. The G338P was non-functional. The L341A and G345A displayed normal trafficking, current amplitude, and sensitization, but both mutations resulted in a decreased pore formation and dye uptake. These results showed that the increase in P2X7R conductivity and sensitivity is critically dependent on residues Y40 and F43 in the TM1 domain and that the region located at the intersection of TM2 helices controls the rate of large pore opening. Keywords: agonist affinity, ATP, BzATP, P2X7R, pore dilation, purinergic receptors.