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Clinical observations indicate that the utility of classical prognostic factors in the assessment of probability of disease free or overall survival of lung cancer patients is not completely satisfactory. This is the cause for search of indices which results would contribute to optimization of this estimation. Of potential value in this aspect may also be the results of laboratory determinations which characterize patient's performance status. Dependencies between the times of overall survival in respect to chosen hematological and biochemical factors from the pretreatment period were analyzed in a group of 233 patients with lung cancer (adenocarcinoma - 44, squamous cell lung cancer - 156, small cell lung cancer - 33 patients) in different stages of disease. Apart from stage of disease and histological type of tumor, independent prognostic factors turned out to be the actual ideal body mass ratio and the number of leucocytes. In patients with less advanced stages of disease, such independent factors, apart from histological type are alpha-1 globulin and gamma globulin.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of incremental cycling exercise test performed before and 24 hours after blood donation (withdrawal of 450 ml of blood) on the plasma volume and concentration of morphologic elements of blood. Thirteen subjects (mean +/- SD), age 23 +/- 3 years; body mass 75 +/- 10 kg; BMI 23.4 +/- 2 kg x m(-2); VO2max 2903 +/- 334 ml x min(-1), volunteered for this study. The exercise test started at the power output of 20 W with an increase by 20 W every 3 minutes--until exhaustion. This test was performed once in the control study (7-12 days before blood donation) and repeated 24 hrs after blood donation. The blood samples were taken from the antecubital vein, in a sitting position (1) at rest, (2) at the stage of 100 W power output, (3) at the end of the test (the stage of exhaustion) and (4) at 2 hours after the end of the test. The changes in plasma volume were evaluated according to changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit concentrations. The significance of differences in the studied variables were tested using Wilcoxon test. At the end of the exercise test a significant (p<0.05) decrease in plasma volume was found in both study. It amounted to--11.1 +/- 2.9% in the control study, and to--13.0 +/- 3.9% after blood donation. Within 2 hours after the end of the exercise test plasma volume returned to the pre-exercise value in the control study and exceeded the pre-exercise value by 3.9 +/- 6.7% (p<0.05) in the study performed after blood donation. The MCV, MCH, and MCHC values were not affected by the exercise performed before and after blood donation. In the control study, at the end of the incremental exercise test a significant increase in the leukocyte, lymphocyte and thrombocyte count was found. At 2 hours after exercise thrombocytes count returned to the pre-exercise level, whereas the exercise-induced leucocytosis remained at the end-exercise level. The lymphocyte count decreased to lymphopenic level. During the incremental exercise test performed after blood donation the changes in the concentration of the studied morphologic elements of blood were similar as in the control study. The only difference was noticed in the changes of lymphocyte count which returned to the pre-exercise level within 2 hours after exhaustion. Taking into consideration the changes in plasma volume it was found that during the incremental exercise tests (both in the control study and after blood donation) there was a significant (p<0.05) extra vascular escape of erythrocytes and thrombocytes. This was accompanied by a significant accumulation of neutrophils and lymphocytes in circulating blood. At 2 hours after the end of exercise, neutrophils count increases and lymphocytes migrate into peripheral lymphoid tissues, causing lymphopenia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of blood withdrawal on the plasma volume and serum proteins concentration during incremental cycling exercise test performed 24 hours after blood donation (withdrawal of 450 ml of blood). Thirteen subjects (mean +/- SD), age 23 +/- 3 years; body mass 75 +/- 10 kg; BMI 23.4 +/- 2 kg.m-2; VO2max 2903 +/- 334 ml.min-1, performed an incremental cycling exercise test, starting at the power output of 20 W with an increase by 20 W every 3 minutes--until exhaustion. This test was performed twice: once in the control study (7-12 days before blood donation) and repeated 24 h after blood donation. The blood for this study was taken from the antecubital vein, in a sitting position at rest (6 minutes before the exercise test, at the end of the test (the stage of exhaustion) and 2 hours after the end of the test. The changes in plasma volume were evaluated on the basis of changes in hemoglobin and haematocrit concentrations. Significances of differences in the studied variables were tested using Wilcoxon test. At the end of the exercise test a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in plasma volume was found in both study. It amounted to -11.1 +/- 2.9% in the control study, and to -13.0 +/- 3.9% after blood donation. The difference in the changes in plasma volume in both tests was not significant. In the control study plasma volume return to the pre-exercise value within 2 hours after the end of the exercise test. In the study performed after blood donation the values of plasma volume exceeded the control value by 3.9 +/- 6.7% (p < 0.05) within 2 hours after finishing the exercise test. Taking into consideration the changes in plasma volume it was found that during incremental exercise there is a significant (p < 0.05) extra vascular escape of the serum proteins both in the control study, in case of total serum protein amounting to 4.05 +/- 2.97 g.l-1 as well as during exercise performed after blood donation, amounting to 5.49 +/- 3.98 g.l-1. Moreover, it was found that in the control study all the measured serum proteins concentrations (albumin, alpha 1-, alpha 2-, beta-, and gamma-globulins) return to the pre-exercise level within 2 hours after the end of exercise, but in the study performed after blood donation a continuous extra vascular escape of some serum proteins (alpha 1-, alpha 2- and gamma-globulins) was observed.

Unlabelled: In this study we have evaluated the changes in gas exchange variables, blood acid-base balance and the mechanical efficiency of muscle in healthy young men during an incremental exercise test. Twenty-six healthy men: age 22.1 +/- 1.4 (mean +/- SD) years, body mass 73.6 +/- 7.4 kg, height 179 +/- 8 cm, were subjects in this study. The subjects performed an incremental exercise test on a cycloergometer at a pedalling rate of 70 rev.min-1. The exercise test started at a power output of 30 W, followed by an increase of power output by 30 W every 3 minutes. Gas exchange variables were measured continuously (breath by breath). Antecubital blood samples for acid-base balance variables and plasma lactate concentration [La]pl were taken at the end of each 3-minute step. The lactate threshold (LT) in this study was defined as the highest power output above which [La]pl showed a sustained increase of > 0.5 mmol.l-1.step-1. The power output at LT amounted to 127 +/- 28 W. It corresponded to 45% of the maximal power output (MPO) reached at maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). The oxygen uptake at the LT amounted to 1734 +/- 282 ml.min-1 and corresponded to 48% of VO2 max (3726 +/- 363 ml.min-1). The minute ventilation at the LT amounted to 47.8 +/- 7.5 l, and its increase to the level of 125.7 +/- 19.7 l reached at the MPO was obtained mainly by intensification of breathing frequency from 23.8 +/- 3.31.min-1 to 43 +/- 5.91.min-1, for LT and MPO respectively. Analysis of the changes in PETCO2 during the incremental exercise test showed significant differences between subjects. One could recognise a group of subjects (n = 8) with high values of PETCO2 (above 45 mmHg) and a group of subjects (n = 8) with lower values of PETCO2 (below 43 mmHg). However, no significant differences in exercise tolerance, expressed by the level of MPO and maximal oxygen uptake, were found between those groups of subjects. The mechanical efficiency calculated on the basis of power output/net oxygen uptake ratio during cycling at a power output of 60 W amounted to 24.1 +/- 3.8 percent, at the LT 25.8 +/- 2.1%, whereas at the maximal power output a significant (p < 0.01) drop in muscle efficiency occurred, to the value of 23.1 +/- 1.6%. This drop in muscle efficiency occurring at the MPO may be an important factor limiting exercise tolerance when performing high power output exercise., In Conclusion: The above presented data illustrate the physiological responses to incremental exercise and the level of exercise tolerance, which may serve as a reference point for the population of healthy, young physically active Polish students.

Diagnostic value was assessed of serum testosterone concentration and compared with that of serum assay of CEA and CA 19-9 in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Thirty-six patients with PC were compared with thirty-two CP patients. The sensitivity of CA 19-9 (76.9%) in detecting PC was greater than that of testosterone and CEA (30.6% and 30.8%, respectively). The specificity of testosterone and CA 19-9 were comparable (93.7% and 96.4%, respectively). The combination of tests did not enhance the sensitivity and specificity of each test when used alone. The serum CA 19-9 concentration in PC patients was significantly higher then in patients with colon cancer, gastric cancer and benign gastrointestinal diseases.