This thesis is focused on immunochemical determination of concentration of active and inactive form of cathepsin B in patients with bladder cancer in order to compare diagnostic efficiency of methods for their possible use for routine diagnosis. Cathepsin B and procathepsin B were measured in serum and urine in 82 patients with bladder cancer (47 men and 35 women), with the average age of 66.5 year. The control group contain of 72 healthy subjects (31 men and 41 women), with the average age of 58.5 year. The concentration of cathepsin B and procathepsin B in the urine were corrected to creatinine, which was determined by the enzymatic creatinase method. The concentrations of cathepsin B in urine were singnificantly elevated in patients than in control group (median = 3.5 µg/l vs. 0.9 µg/l, P = 0.01), similarly the results of the cathepsin B/creatinine ratio were elevated (median = 0.4 µg/mmol vs. 0.1 µg/mmol, P = 0.01). There were no significant difference in concentration in serum between patients and control group (median = 4.8 µg/l vs. 4.2 µg/l, P = 0.8). The concentration values of procathepsin B were significantly higher in patients compare to control group both in urine (median = 3.9 µg/l vs. 1.4 µg/l, P < 0.0001), in serum (median = 73.3 µg/l vs. 58.7 µg/l, P = 0.0005) and similarly in...

A central nervous system (CNS) can be invaded by plenty of parasites, including parasitic helminths. Host's immune response during such infections includes not only participation of peripheral lymphocytes, but also astrocytes and microglia, resident glial cells present in the CNS. Activation of astrocytes and microglia has been recently demonstrated also in mice infected by neurotropic avian trematode Trichobilharzia regenti (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) for which mammals represent accidental hosts. The parasite does not mature in them and elicits development of inflammatory reaction in the CNS which may take part in parasite's destruction. Employing in vitro experiments, this thesis aimed at evaluation of the possible role of astrocytes and microglia in murine immune response to T. regenti. For this purpose, primary astrocyte and microglia culture preparations were established and the cells were then stimulated by antigens of T. regenti (homogenate of transformed cercariae, recombinant cathepsins B1.1 and B2). After that, production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha) was measured. The results revealed that in vitro stimulated astrocytes and microglia increase production of nitric oxide, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Such response to parasite's antigens could influence...