Maciej Pastuszczak

Publications

• 2.18

  Impact points

  Utility of post-treatment follow-up visit at 3 months in patients treated for early syphilis.

  Maciej Pastuszczak, Andrzej K Jaworek, Bogdan Jakiela, Anna Wojas-Pelc

  Sexually transmitted infections. 04/2012;

• Syphilis and HIV infection "a dangerous combination"

  Pastuszczak M, Snarska-Drygalska A, Wojas-Pelc A

  Dermatologia Estetyczna. 12/2011;
• 1.25

  Impact points

  The effect of chronic kidney disease on fibrin clot properties in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

  Anetta Undas, Krzysztof Nycz, Maciej Pastuszczak, Tomasz Stompor, Krzysztof Zmudka

  Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis. 09/2010; 21(6):522-7.

  Chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as a decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR < 60 ml/min), is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. Both acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and end-stage renal disease have been shown to be associated with formation of compact fibrin c... [more] Chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as a decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR < 60 ml/min), is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. Both acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and end-stage renal disease have been shown to be associated with formation of compact fibrin clots relatively resistant to lysis. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of CKD on fibrin clot properties in patients with ACS. In 30 ACS patients, aged 48-72 years, with CKD and 30 ACS patients with eGFR more than 60 ml/min, we investigated plasma fibrin clot properties using permeation and turbidity assays, including three different clot lysis assays. The ACS patients with eGFR less than 60 ml/min and those with normal filtration rate did not differ with regard to demographics, risk factors, medications and routine laboratory tests, including fibrinogen. The former group had higher plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (P = 0.002) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) (P = 0.008). Compared with ACS patients with eGFR more than 60 ml/min, the ACS patients with CKD formed less porous fibrin clots (P = 0.004) and susceptible to fibrinolysis (P < 0.001), had thicker overall fibrin fibers (P = 0.007), earlier onset of fibrin clot formation (P = 0.004) and increased clot mass (P < 0.001). By multiple regression analysis, clot permeability was independently predicted by eGFR (P = 0.0005) and fibrinogen (P = 0.001), whereas the only predictors of lysis time were eGFR (P = 0.006) and tPA (P = 0.002). This study indicates that ACS patients with CKD display unfavorable fibrin clot properties including impaired fibrinolysis, which might contribute to worse outcome in this population.
• 4.45

  Impact points

  Functional characterisation of plasma fibrin clots in Polish carriers of fibrinogen gammaArg275His mutation (fibrinogen Zabrze).

  Anetta Undas, Maciej Pastuszczak, Teresa Iwaniec, Krystyna Kapelak, Marguerite Neerman-Arbez

  Thrombosis and haemostasis. 08/2010; 104(2):415-7.

• The +405 GG variant of vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphism is associated with poor prognosis in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

  Maciej Pastuszczak, Agnieszka Branicka, Bogdan Jakiela, Ewa Stępień, Andrzej Jaworek, Anna Wojas-Pelc, Bogusław Kapelak, Jerzy Sadowski

  Polskie archiwum medycyny wewnetrznej. 11/2009; 119(11):719-725.

  INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with systemic response and increased concentrations of numerous cytokines. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) related pathway also seems to be involved in inflammatory response induced by CABG. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this... [more] INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with systemic response and increased concentrations of numerous cytokines. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) related pathway also seems to be involved in inflammatory response induced by CABG. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the VEGF gene +405 G>C polymorphism (linked to serum VEGF production), and the short-term clinical outcome during the in-hospital period (30 days) in patients undergoing CABG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Genotyping for VEGF gene +405 G>C polymorphism was performed in 64 patients with coronary artery disease at a mean age of 66 years (76.6% males), with a mean EuroSCORE (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation) of 2.5 (0-2 points: 50% patients, 3-4: 25%, >=5 points: 25%), who underwent CABG surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-one (33%) patients were homozygous for the +405 G allele, 40 (63%) were heterozygous, and 3 were homozygous for the +405 C allele. Ten patients died during the 30-day follow-up (7 subjects with +405 GG genotype, and the other 3 carriers of the +405 C allele). Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the risk of death after CABG was increased in patients with +405 GG genotype (odds ratio [OR] = 6.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-29.4) and with EuroSCORE >=5 points (OR = 4.4; 95% CI 1.1-18.1). CONCLUSIONS: The VEGF gene +405 G>C polymorphism might be a prognostic factor of an adverse postoperative course in patients undergoing CABG surgery. Apart from its proangiogenic action, VEGF may have additional, possibly proinflammatory properties.
• 2.41

  Impact points

  Prior simvastatin treatment is associated with reduced thrombin generation and platelet activation in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

  Maciej Pastuszczak, Agnieszka Kotlarz, Magdalena Mostowik, Jaroslaw Zalewski, Krzysztof Zmudka, Anetta Undas

  Thrombosis research. 07/2009;

  BACKGROUND: It has been reported that statin therapy produces additional effects including impaired activation of blood coagulation. It is not clear whether statins can affect hemostasis in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prior statin tre... [more] BACKGROUND: It has been reported that statin therapy produces additional effects including impaired activation of blood coagulation. It is not clear whether statins can affect hemostasis in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prior statin treatment on thrombin generation and platelet activation in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: We studied 53 consecutive STEMI patients admitted within 12 hours of pain onset, including 19 treated with simvastatin (40 mg/d) (simvastatin group) at least one month prior to STEMI, and 34 not receiving any statins (no-statin group) on admission. Thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes generation and soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) release were determined in 60-second blood samples collected at the site of microvascular injury. RESULTS: There were no significant intergroup differences with respect to clinical and laboratory variables, including plasma TAT and sCD40L levels, except lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the simvastatin group. The mean maximum rate of TAT generation was 47.5% lower (p=0.0002) and sCD40L release 33.3% lower (p=0.0006) in the simvastatin group. Total amounts of TAT (p<0.0001) and sCD40L (p=0.002) collected within 5 minutes of bleeding were lower in simvastatin-pretreated patients. By multivariate regression analysis, variables describing local TAT and sCD40L profiles in the whole group were independently associated with simvastatin pretreatment (p<0.0001), but not with cholesterol, platelet count or troponin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Prior simvastatin use is associated with lower thrombin generation and platelet activation following vascular injury in the early phase of STEMI.

• [Aggravating factors of rosacea]

  Andrzej Kazimierz Jaworek, Anna Wojas-Pelc, Maciej Pastuszczak

  Przegla̧d lekarski. 02/2008; 65(4):180-3.

  Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease which is mainly localized in the central region of the face. Papules and pustules appear on the erythematic ground. Rosacea is common in population. Four subtypes of rosacea (erythematoteleangiectatic rosacea, ETR; papulo - pustular rosacea, PPR; ocula... [more] Rosacea is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease which is mainly localized in the central region of the face. Papules and pustules appear on the erythematic ground. Rosacea is common in population. Four subtypes of rosacea (erythematoteleangiectatic rosacea, ETR; papulo - pustular rosacea, PPR; ocular rosacea and phymatous rosacea) are classified (according to current classification) and one variant rosacea (granulomatous rosacea, GR). It is considered that an attempt to determine of triggering factors of rosacea should be the first step to treatment. Then it should be tried to eliminate contact with them. The aim of this study was an analysis of triggering factors of rosacea. 43 women and 26 men treated in the Dermatology Outpatient's Clinic of Jagiellonian University School of Medicine in Cracow were enrolled in the study. All patients were asked which factors trigger skin changes according to them. Patients mentioned most often: stress (58 percent), sun exposure (56.5 per. cent), alcohol (33.3 percent), exercise (29 percent), drinking coffee (21.7 percent) and hot meals (20.3 percent). They regarded the sun as the most strongly aggravating factor of rosacea (29.2 percent). It seems, that elimination and reduction of contact with aggravating factors is still an undervalued aspect of rosacea's treatment. Patients' motivation for use of prevention seems to be also very important. Knowledge about aggravating factors of rosacea, coming directly from patients' observations, may help in more effective treatment.