Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, 2011 (vol. 25), issue 1

Editorial

Klinická farmakologie a farmacie - 25. ročník

doc. MUDr. Karel Urbánek, Ph.D.

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):6

Endokrinologie, obor zabývající se zásadními aspekty humorálních regulací v organizmu

prof. MUDr. Václav Zamrazil, DrSc.

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):3

Original articles

The clinical effect of cyclosporine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases

David Suchý, Milan Grundmann, Václav Vyskočil, Soňa Loudová, Otto Mayer

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):7-10

Objective: The objective of this research was 1) to evaluate the effect of CSA therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients using disease activity indexes: DAS 28 (CRP) 28 (CRP) and CDAI, 2) assess the relationship of the previously obtained and measured pharmacokinetic variables (AUCCSA0–12, C max) and the disease activity in RA. Methods: The investigated group comprised 19 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were treated for three months with CSA. The authors evaluated the influence of CSA treatment (dose 1,34 ± 0,32 mg/kg/day) on predefined core set of variables in RA patients, activity of disease was assessed using tworecent...

Comparison of branded and generic lots of carbapenem antibiotics

Karel Urbánek, Michal Šiller, Rostislav Večeřa, Alice Zachařová, Zuzana Matušková

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):11-17

Background: Carbapenem antibiotics are used in severe nosocomial infections, so the quality of their different preparations has been emphasized. Aim: A comparison of the quality of generic imipenem/cilastatin and meropenem produced by Fresenius Kabi with the branded preparations. Methods: 3 commercially available lots of generic preparations (Imipenem/cilastatin Kabi® and Meropenem Kabi®) were compared with one branded lot of each carbapenem (Tienam® and Meronem®). Concentrations of active agents were measured by HPLC analysis with spectrophotometric detection. Impurity or degradation product content, concentration of...

Main topic

Growth hormone therapy in pediatrics. Past and Present

Jan Lebl, Jiřina Zapletalová

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):18-23

Growth hormone was firstly used in therapy in 1957. Up to mid-1980s, it was exclusively extracted from human cadaverous pituitary glands. Recombinant products have been marketed since 1985. Besides of classic indication of hormone replacement in children with growth hormone deficiency, growth hormone is additionally approved for therapy of growth hormone deficiency in adults, of girls with Turner syndrome, of children with chronic renal failure, Prader-Willi syndrome, growth failure as a consequence of intrauterine growth retardation (SGA/IUGR) and SHOX deficiency. All these indications have been approved following studies of efficacy and safety....

Subclinical thyroid disease

Karolína Drbalová, Miroslav Vodák, Václav Zamrazil

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):24-26

Subclinical thyreopathies are pathological states of the thyroid gland that show no corresponding clinical symptoms, yet may be detected sporadically by laboratory examination or screening methods. They represent a diagnostic entity, which appeared due to innovations in laboratory diagnostics and recent focus on pre-clinical stages of manifestative diseases. Subclinical thyreopathies include subclinical hypothyreosis and hyperthyreosis, thyroid volume or structure changes found accidentally by sonography, initial stages of malignancy – accidental detection of a micro-carcinoma and subclinical forms of thyroiditis. Controversy remains...

Nodule of thyroid gland

Jan Čáp

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):28-32

Using ultrasound a thyroid nodule is detectable in more than one half of women in middle age or older. Besides history and physical examination the most important in the diagnostic workout is thyroid ultrasound with guided fine-needle aspiration cytology. Scintigraphy is indicated in cases with hyperthyroidism only. Laboratory investigation of thyroid function (TSH level) and antithyroid antibodies is important. Estimation of calcitonin level as tumour marker of medullary carcinoma of the thyroid is indicated for selected cases only. Suppressive therapy with thyroxin can decrease nodule volume in about every sixth patient in expense of low...

Review articles

New drug in the symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis: 4-aminopyridin (FAMPRIDINE - SR)

Pavel Štourač

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):33-34

FAMPRIDINE – SR, a sustained – release formulation of fampridine (4-aminopyridine), is a potassium channel blocker in central nervous system acting on internodal membrane of demyelinated axons thus improving conduction of electrical impulse. FAMPRIDINE – SR is administered perorally twice daily in single dose of 10 milligrams. FAMPRIDINE – SR demonstrated improvement of walking ability in some patients with multiple sclerosis. The improvement is statistically significant and has a clinical meaningful therapeutic benefit.

Influence of oral antidiabetic agents on endothelial dysfunction

Veronika Drobná, Stanislava Jankyová, Jana Tisoňová, Andrej Dukát, Viera Kristová, Agáta Mačugová, Lenka Kostková, Martin Wawruch

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):35-40

Vascular damage represents the most frequent complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore therapy of DM should be focused not only on the adjustment of blood glucose level, but also on the prevention and treatment of vascular damage. Some of currently used antidiabetic agents show endothelium-protective properties that are not directly linked to their glucose-lowering effect. They represent promising tools for the reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients suffering from DM. This paper characterizes individual groups of antidiabetic agents regarding their influence on endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 DM.

Treatment of migraine during pregnancy

Jolana Marková, Alena Linhartová

Klin Farmakol Farm. 2011;25(1):41-44

Primary headache disorders, particularly migraine and tension headaches, are very common in women in the childbearing age. The article deals with a specific situation of women with migraine during the period of pregnancy when the development and progression of various types of headache disorders is affected by the hormonal situation of the organism. Most studies as well as the clinical practice confirm that in about 70 % of female migraine sufferers their migraine improves, particularly during the second and third trimesters. This observation applies to migraine without aura. Women with migraine with aura more frequently suffer from attacks...