Preliminary report on a study of health-related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

There are studies about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but few studies prospectively assessed HRQoL. The main purpose of this study was to analyze HRQoL in patients hospitalized due to RA exacerbation and observed over a planned 2-year follow-up in an outpatient setting. The study involved 42 women and 9 men, at mean age of 62.5 years (SD ± 12.6). The mean duration of the study was 22–23 months. The HRQoL analysis was performed using the SF-36 survey. At the beginning of the study, basic data on age, sex, selected biochemical (ESR, CRP, GFR, hemoglobin, plasma albumin, plasma protein), and clinical parameters (the duration of RA, VAS, DAS28, BMI, the presence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoporotic fractures, osteoarthritis, neoplasm) were collected. Questionnaires were completed at the beginning and end of the study. Statistically significant reductions in HRQoL scores were observed in social functioning (SF; 0.42 vs 0.32, P < 0.05), whereas role-emotional health (RE; 0.48 vs 0.59, P < 0.05) and mental health (MH; 0.47 vs 0.54, P < 0.05) scores were increased. A decrease in the SF was positively correlated with the lack of osteoporosis at baseline (r = 0.35, P > 0.02). An increase in the MH was inversely correlated with BMI (r = −0.31, P < 0.05), and the level of hemoglobin (r = −0.32, P < 0.028) and positively correlated with the presence of osteoarthritis at baseline (r = 0.29, P < 0.05). In RA patients, dimensions of HRQoL as SF, RE, and MH could change within 2 years and these changes could be related to comorbidities. Although preliminary findings are promising, further studies are needed

Mobilne zakupy w Polsce i w Holandii

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues concerning mobile commerce in Poland and in the Netherlands. Mobile devices use in the different stages of purchasing process are described. Basic information about m-commerce on Polish and Dutch markets are presented. The results of comparative research that was conducted in both countries are discussed. They concerned the ways of applying mobile devices to different activities connected with purchase, the most popular categories of products and the amounts of money spent

Identification of chosen apoptotic (TIAR and TIA-1) markers expression in thyroid tissues from adolescents with immune and non-immune thyroid diseases.

The aim of this study was to estimate sodium iodide symporter (NIS) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) expression in thyrocytes from patients with GD and no-toxic multinodular goitre (NTMG) in relationship with apoptotic (TIAR and TIA-1) markers. The investigation was performed on thyroid cells isolated from postoperation thyroid tissues from 15 patients aged 12-21 years old with GD and 15 cases aged 13-21 years old with NTMG. Detection of NIS and TPO was performed by immunohistochemistry. Analysis of apoptotic markers in thyroid tissues was performed using antibodies to TIAR and TIA-1 by Western Blot and immunohistochemistry. Identification of proapoptotic TIAR and TIA-1 molecules in the thyroid tissues revealed a higher expression of both proteins in patients with Graves' disease (+++; +, respectively) in comparison to patients with NTNG (+; 0). In addition, TIAR expression was detected in three bands [p50, p42, p38 (kDa)] and TIA-1 in two bands [p22, p17 (kDa)]. using Western Blot test in patients with thyroid autoimmune diseases. In patients with NTNG expression of both apoptotic proteins was lower and identified in single bands: 42 (kDa) for TIAR and 17 (kDa) for TIA-1. The analysis of expression of NIS and TPO in thyroid follicular cells was higher in patients with Graves' disease in compared to their detection in patients with NTMG. In addition, degree of thyroid antigen expression positive correlated with amount of proapoptotic markers (TIAR,

Doksycyklina w terapii amyloidozy układowej z zajęciem serca

The leading strategy in the management of systemic amyloidosis is currently focused on reducing the production of amyloid precursor proteins. This approach is based on the use of chemotherapy in light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis) or liver transplantation, or attempts to suppress transthyretin gene expression (TTR) in patients with transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR). Recently, however, therapies have been increasingly developed to reduce the formation of amyloid deposits from circulating precursors or to eliminate already formed amyloid deposits. This approach includes, in particular, the chronic use of doxycycline, a well-known bacteriostatic antibiotic from the tetracycline group. In preclinical studies it was shown that the anti-amyloidogenic potential of doxycycline in AL amyloidosis depends on interference in the process of amyloidogenesis and the destruction of amyloid deposits. Clinical retrospective studies indicate that doxycycline used with standard chemotherapy improves prognosis in patients with AL amyloidosis with heart involvement, which is the most unfavorable prognostic group, while maintaining a favorable safety profile of therapy. In contrast, in ATTR, doxycycline appears to stabilize the clinical course of the disease. In this paper, we review literature on the role of doxycycline therapy in the treatment of systemic amyloidosis.W leczeniu chorych na amyloidozy układowe dominują obecnie strategie ukierunkowane na zmniejszenie produkcji białek prekursorowych amyloidu. Takie podejście jest między innymi reprezentowane przez stosowanie chemioterapii w amyloidozie łańcuchów lekkich (amyloidozie AL) lub transplantację wątroby czy próby supresji ekspresji genu transtyretyny u chorych na amyloidozy transtyretynowe (ATTR). Ostatnio jednak coraz aktywniej są rozwijane terapie służące ograniczeniu powstawania amyloidu z krążących prekursorów lub eliminacji już uformowanych depozytów amyloidowych. Do tej grupy metod można zaliczyć przewlekłe stosowanie doksycykliny, powszechnie znanego antybiotyku bakteriostatycznego z grupy tetracyklin. W badaniach przedklinicznych wykazano, że potencjał antyamyloidogenny doksycykliny w amyloidozie AL polega zarówno na interferencji w proces amyloidogenezy, jak i destrukcji depozytów amyloidowych. Kliniczne badania retrospektywne wskazują, że doksycyklina stosowana wraz ze standardową chemioterapią poprawia rokowanie u chorych na amyloidozę AL z zajęciem serca, którzy stanowią najgorzej rokującą grupę pacjentów, zachowując przy tym korzystny profil bezpieczeństwa terapii. Z kolei wydaje się, że w ATTR doksycyklina stablizuje przebieg kliniczny choroby. W pracy dokonano przeglądu piśmiennictwa dotyczącego roli doksycykliny w leczeniu chorych na amyloidozy układowe

Jak leczymy pacjenta z nowo rozpoznaną amyloidozą łańcuchów lekkich pośredniego ryzyka? Rola doksycykliny w terapii amyloidozy z zajęciem serca

Treatment of patients with light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis) is a challenge in routine clinical practice. Although deep and durable hematologic response is crucial for the success of the therapy, in this group of patients the proper conduct of supportive care becomes particularly important. Because AL amyloidosis is an interdisciplinary disease entity, the therapeutic process should be coordinated by an interdisciplinary team consisting of a hematologist, cardiologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist and clinical dietician. In this paper, we present a strategy for treating a patient with a newly diagnosed systemic intermediate-risk AL amyloidosis with cardiac involvement in the Department of Hematology of the Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine in Warsaw, in which, apart of standard chemotherapy, doxycycline was used.Leczenie pacjentów z amyloidozą łańcuchów lekkich (amyloidozą AL) stanowi wyzywanie w codziennej praktyce klinicznej. Choć uzyskanie głębokiej i długotrwałej odpowiedzi hematologicznej w głównej mierze decyduje o powodzeniu terapii, to w odniesieniu do tej grupy chorych szczególnego znaczenia nabiera odpowiednie prowadzenie leczenia wspomagającego. Ponieważ amyloidoza AL stanowi interdyscyplinarną jednostkę chorobową, to proces terapeutyczny powinien być koordynowany przez interdyscyplinarny zespół złożony z hematologa, kardiologa, nefrologa, gastroenterologa, neurologa i dietetyka klinicznego. W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono strategię postępowania u pacjenta z nowo rozpoznaną wieloukładową amyloidozą AL pośredniego ryzyka, z zajęciem serca, leczonego w Klinice Hematologii Instytutu Hematologii i Transfuzjologii w Warszawie, u którego poza standardową chemioterapią zastosowano doksycyklinę