Aleš Čoček

Cell-Mediated Immunity in Cervical Cancer Evolution

Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) response to different antigens was examined in healthy women, in patients with cervical precancerous lesions, and in patients with cervical cancer. Cervical lesions were diagnosed by cytological (PAP) smears, from examination by colposcopy, and from “punch” biopsy material by histology. CMI response is related to specific processes in healthy and cancer cells. CMI was investigated by leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay using specific antigen (prepared from cervical carcinoma tissue) and non specific antigen (prepared from blood of mice infected by LDH—lactate dehydrogenase—virus). The CMI responses of healthy women and cancer patients to the antigens used are different: the majority of T lymphocytes display adherence and non adherence, respectively (but the CMI responses elicited by the antigens are not equal and small quantitative differences are observed). Regardless of the CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) grades, CMI responses correspond either to healthy women or to cervical carcinoma patients (at about similar ratio of cases in all the CIN groups). Effect of non specific antigen suggests that cervical carcinoma transformation may be connected with reduction of mitochondrial activity similar to processes in LDH virus infection.

Combined Laser- EGb 761 Tinnitus Therapy

The treatment of patients with chronic tinnitus is very problematic and therefore otologists are trying to discover more suitable courses of therapy. In this study we wanted to evaluate the outcome of using a combination of EGb 761 and soft laser therapy. We examined 120 patients with an average duration of tinnitus of 10 years. The patients underwent pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry and objective audiometry tests. The intensity and frequency of tinnitus was also determined. EGb 761 was administered 3 weeks before starting soft laser therapy. Patients underwent 10 sessions of laser therapy, each lasting for 10 min. An improvement in tinnitus was audiometrically confirmed in 50.8% of patients: 10 dB in 18; 20 dB in 22; 30 dB in 10; 40 dB in 6; and 50 dB in 5.The treatment of patients with chronic tinnitus is very problematic and therefore otologists are trying to discover more suitable courses of therapy. In this study we wanted to evaluate the outcome of using a combination of EGb 761 and soft laser therapy. We examined 120 patients with an average duration of tinnitus of 10 years. The patients underwent pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry and objective audiometry tests. The intensity and frequency of tinnitus was also determined. EGb 761 was administered 3 weeks before starting soft laser therapy. Patients underwent 10 sessions of laser therapy, each lasting for 10 min. An improvement in tinnitus was audiometrically confirmed in 50.8% of patients: 10 dB in 18; 20 dB in 22; 30 dB in 10; 40 dB in 6; and 50 dB in 5.

EFFECTS OF SINUSOIDAL MAGNETIC FIELD ON ADHERENCE INHIBITION OF LEUKOCYTES

Response of leukocytes to exposure to an external magnetic field with frequency 50 Hz and sinusoidal waveform was investigated in vitro using the leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay developed as a measure of cell-mediated immunity. Leukocytes taken from healthy humans adhere, but their adherence decreases after 1 hr of exposure to the magnetic field with magnetic induction of 1 and 10 mT. The majority of leukocytes taken from cancer patients before any medical treatment do not adhere, and exposure to the magnetic field increases adherence. Correlation between the LAI assay results and the cell-mediated immunity suggests an effect of magnetic fields on leukocyte immune function in humans.

Biophysical Insights into Cancer Transformation and Treatment

Biological systems are hierarchically self-organized complex structures characterized by nonlinear interactions. Biochemical energy is transformed into work of physical forces required for various biological functions. We postulate that energy transduction depends on endogenous electrodynamic fields generated by microtubules. Microtubules and mitochondria colocalize in cells with microtubules providing tracks for mitochondrial movement. Besides energy transformation, mitochondria form a spatially distributed proton charge layer and a resultant strong static electric field, which causes water ordering in the surrounding cytosol. These effects create conditions for generation of coherent electrodynamic field. The metabolic energy transduction pathways are strongly affected in cancers. Mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells (Warburg effect) or in fibroblasts associated with cancer cells (reverse Warburg effect) results in decreased or increased power of the generated electromagnetic field, respectively, and shifted and rebuilt frequency spectra. Disturbed electrodynamic interaction forces between cancer and healthy cells may favor local invasion and metastasis. A therapeutic strategy of targeting dysfunctional mitochondria for restoration of their physiological functions makes it possible to switch on the natural apoptotic pathway blocked in cancer transformed cells. Experience with dichloroacetate in cancer treatment and reestablishment of the healthy state may help in the development of novel effective drugs aimed at the mitochondrial function.

Effects of Magnetic Field 0.1 and 0.05 mT on Leukocyte Adherence Inhibition

T lymphocytes taken from healthy humans and cancer patients before and after medical treatment were exposed to the magnetic field 0.1 and 0.05 mT to study response of the cell-mediated immunity. Leukocyte adherence, which is considered to correlate with the cell-mediated immunity, was measured using an in vitro technique—leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay. Exposure to the magnetic field increases adherence of T lymphocytes especially those from cancer patients before medical treatment. The effects of exposure to the magnetic field 0.1 and 0.05 mT are similar to those of greater magnetic fields in the range of 0.5 to 10 mT. The effects of the AC and DC magnetic fields 0.05 mT do not display large differences attributable to the magnetic field.

Effects of sinusoidal magnetic field on adherence inhibition of leucocytes: preliminary results

The leucocyte surface properties manifest the cell-mediated immunity. The response of the cell-mediated immunity to external magnetic field was examined by observing leucocyte adherence to solid state surfaces. In the presence of antigen, leucocytes taken from cancer patients exhibit decreased adherence in contrast with adherence of leucocytes from healthy humans. After 1 h exposure to a sinusoidal magnetic field of 50 Hz and of 1 mT or 10 mT, adherence of leucocytes taken from cancer patients is strongly increased. The 1 mT magnetic field has stronger effect than the 10 mT field.

The history and current status of surgery in the treatment of laryngeal cancer.

The roots of surgery of the larynx reach into the 19th century. After the gaining of initial experiences, a period of radical surgery followed when most tumours were treated with a total laryngectomy. The middle of the 20th century can be characterised as a period of partial laryngectomies. The mutilation of patients caused by a total laryngectomy was and is one of the main impulses that led to the development of the current phase--combined treatment (radiotherapy, systematic cytostatic chemotherapy, biological treatment, surgery as an emergency treatment). The aim is to treat carcinoma of the larynx without the actual removal of the larynx itself and with the same oncological results as would be reached in cases treated with a total laryngectomy. Despite the development of non-surgical methods, surgery of carcinoma of the larynx remains a significant part of the treatment protocol. This work covers the development of surgery of carcinoma of the larynx from a historical point of view; it also describes current types of operations and discusses the position of surgery in todays treatment algorithm.

Visuo-vestibular biofeedback in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders.

It is well known that diseases of the vestibular system can be compensated by increased spontaneous activity of other systems engaged in maintaining equilibrium, i.e. proprioceptive and visual systems. A complex approach using multisensory stimulation is the optimal way to achieve vestibular compensation. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of vestibular rehabilitation therapy as measured by posturography in a group of 72 patients suffering from vestibular disorders: Ménières disease ( n = 31), neuritis vestibularis ( n = 21) and vertebrobasilar insufficiency ( n = 20). Patients underwent the following examinations: electronystagmography; caloric, rotatory and optokinetic tests; computed posturography; craniocorpography; pure-tone audiometry; speech audiometry; and tinnitometry (tinnitus loudness, pitch). The instability in patients with Ménières disease decreased 3 weeks after starting the therapy; nevertheless, the decrease in area (the surface formed by the movement of the patients equilibrium point during a defined time) was transitory because of the increase in area values obtained between the 3rd and 6th weeks when measured with closed eyes. In the vestibular neuronitis patients, the measured values of area and the velocity of the patients movement decreased continuously. The values measured in the patients suffering from vertebrobasilar insufficiency decreased continuously, the absolute values remaining pathological.It is well known that diseases of the vestibular system can be compensated by increased spontaneous activity of other systems engaged in maintaining equilibrium, i.e. proprioceptive and visual systems. A complex approach using multisensory stimulation is the optimal way to achieve vestibular compensation. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of vestibular rehabilitation therapy as measured by posturography in a group of 72 patients suffering from vestibular disorders: Ménières disease (n = 31), neuritis vestibularis (n = 21) and vertebrobasilar insufficiency (n = 20). Patients underwent the following examinations: electronystagmography; caloric, rotatory and optokinetic tests; computed posturography; craniocorpography; pure-tone audiometry; speech audiometry; and tinnitometry (tinnitus loudness, pitch). The instability in patients with Ménières disease decreased 3 weeks after starting the therapy; nevertheless, the decrease in area (the surface formed by the movement of the patients equilibrium point during a defined time) was transitory because of the increase in area values obtained between the 3rd and 6th weeks when measured with closed eyes. In the vestibular neuronitis patients, the measured values of area and the velocity of the patients movement decreased continuously. The values measured in the patients suffering from vertebrobasilar insufficiency decreased continuously, the absolute values remaining pathological.

Diseases caused by defects of energy level and loss of coherence in living cells.

Abstract Human and animal diseases are brought about by pathological alterations of production, composition, and conformation of macromolecules and structures in cells. Additional contributing factors include changes in physiological states caused by disturbances of energy supply, energy transduction, energy dissipation in moving or oscillating parts, and parasitic energy consumption. Disturbances of energy states may endanger existence of the system. The cell-mediated immunity (CMI) response of T lymphocytes correlating with their adherence properties was examined using antigen prepared from the serum of inbred laboratory mice strain C3H H2k infected with lactate dehydrogenase elevating (LDH) virus. LDH virus is a parasite on the cellular energy system. Significant CMI response was elicited in T lymphocytes prepared from the blood of patients with cancer of different phenotypes, acute myocardial infarctions, schizophrenia, and recurrent spontaneous abortions in early pregnancy from unknown reasons. The CMI response is assumed to monitor transferred information about decreased levels of energy states and decoherence in the cells caused by mitochondrial malfunction, parasitic consumption, production of lactate, and possibly other disturbances. The LDH virus infection or similar pathological processes caused by different agents might be connected with the diseases and monitored by the examined CMI response. A large amount of mitoses with chromosome defects in aborted fetuses suggest increased mutability of genomes caused by defective energy states.

Changes of Leukocyte Adherence Ability Under the Influence of Magnetic Field in the Course of a Treatment of Patients with Laryngeal and Pharyngeal Carcinoma

The authors were monitoring adherence ability of T lymphocytes in vitro in patients with laryngeal and pharyngeal carcinoma at the presence of tumor=specific and viral LDH antigen. The results were assessed and expressed in percent of non adherent T lymphocytes (NAL). First, NAL in patients before initiating the treatment was compared with NAL control group (voluntary blood donors). The ability of the adherence in T lymphocytes in the control group is statistically significantly higher. Further on, NAL in the course of a successful oncological treatment was monitored at the interval of 6 months folowing the treatment, and further on at yearly intervals. NAL level drops statistically significantly within 6 months and then hold on at levels with no statistical difference unlike the control group, however, the ability of T lymphocyte in patients to adher remains statistically significantly lower. Statistically significantly higher levels of NAL are at the presence of LDH viral antigen. Further on, the authors were following the influence of magnetic sinusoidal field of power frequency (50 Hz) of a low induction (0.5, 0.1, and 0.05 mT) on NAL. NAL values under the influence of an experimental magnetic field before initiating the treatment as well as in the course of a successful oncological treatment are statistically significantly lower. It means that magnetic filed increases the adherence ability of T lymphocytes in patients with laryngeal and pharyngeal cancer in vitro.