The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of toxic cyanobacterial water bloom on the blood indices of two-year-old silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Val.). Experimental fish (336 ± 32 mm length, 365 ± 112 g weight) were exposed to a natural population of cyanobacterial water bloom (mainly Microcystis aeruginosa and M. ichthyoblabe) that contained microcystins (total concentration 133-284 µg·g -1 (DW), concentration in water 2.8-7.4 µg·l -1 ). Haematological indices showed marked changes in fish exposed to the cyanobacterial population compared to the control group. Statistical evaluation of the influence of cyanobacterial water bloom on biochemical and haematological indices of silver carp showed a distinct decrease of albumin, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, glucose, total protein, creatinine, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, phosphorus, iron, cholinesterase, haemoglobin, haematocrit, erythrocyte and leukocyte compared to the control. Values of alanine aminotransferase were significantly increased compared to the control. After exposure to the cyanobacterial water bloom, the silver carp were kept in pure water for monitoring the persistence of biochemical and haematological indices. Influence of the cyanobacterial population on values of albumin, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, total protein, glucose, creatinine, phosphorus, iron, cholinesterase, erythrocyte and haematocrit persisted up to 28 days after the end of exposure. Duration of exposure, toxicity and density of cyanobacterial water bloom had an important impact on individual biochemical and haematological indices.

Differentiation between systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis in surgical patients is of crucial significance. Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are widely used biomarkers, but PCT becomes compromised after antithymocyte globulin (ATG) administration, and CRP exhibits limited specificity. Presepsin has been suggested as an alternative biomarker of sepsis. This study aimed to demonstrate the role of presepsin in patients after heart transplantation (HTx). Plasma presepsin, PCT, and CRP were measured in 107 patients serially for up to 10 days following HTx. Time responses of biomarkers were evaluated for both noninfected (n=91) and infected (n=16) patients. Areas under the concentration curve differed in the two groups of patients for presepsin (P<.001), PCT (P<.005), and CRP (P<.001). The effect of time and infection was significant for all three biomarkers (P<.05 all). In contrast to PCT, presepsin was not influenced by ATG administration. More than 25% of noninfected patients had PCT above 42 μg/L on the first day, and the peak concentration of CRP in infected patients was reached on the third post-transplant day (median 135 mg/L). Presepsin seems to be as valuable a biomarker as PCT or CRP in the evaluation of infectious complications in patients after HTx.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of the blood plasma parameters and the content of microcystins in the tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in relation to the toxic cyanobacterial water bloom. Fish (average body mass 2176 AE 697 g) in the hypertrophic pond were exposed to natural water bloom (dominated by Planktothrix agardhii, Pseudanabaena limnetica and Limnothrix redekei), which contained microcystins (concentration in biomass 20^181 mg g À 1 dry wt, concentration in water 0.3^9.5 mg L À 1 ). Biochemical parameters in ¢sh blood plasma were analysed in 89 ¢sh at 14-day intervals during the whole season (nine sampling periods). Our results demonstrated high variability and £uctuations in the investigated parameters. The content of microcystins and density of cyanobacterial cells correlated with some haematological indices as lipase, alanine^aminotransferase, albumin, magnesium and chlorides. The concentrations of microcystins in the muscle and liver of the ¢sh (determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometer) were below the limit of detection during the monitored period [0.31ng g À 1 fresh weight (f.w.) for the liver and 0.13 ng g À 1 f.w. for muscle]. Our study demonstrates that although known cyanobacterial toxin microcystins were not detected in the ¢sh tissues, several biochemical parameters important for the ¢sh physiology were modulated by natural cyanobacterial bloom.Results show two-way Spearman's R with the P-value in parentheses (presented are only the combinations of parameters that demonstrated statistical signi¢cance, Po0.05). NS, nonsigni¢cant correlation.Aquaculture Research, 2009 Biochemical parameters and microcystins in carp R Kopp et al.

Cystatin C and hsTnT measured 10 days after HTx can provide prognostic information on survival and galectin-3 measured at the same time may display a relationship to heart function assessed 1 year after HTx. Further study should be carried out in a large cohort of patients.

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