Relationship between lead absorption and iron status and its association with oxidative stress markers in lead-exposed workers

Background: The emission of lead (Pb) occurring during the extraction, processing and industrial applications of this element remains a significant environmental risk factor. The absorbability of lead in humans is strongly associated with the general health status of exposed individuals. Existing mineral deficiencies are considered being a predisposition to an increased Pb uptake. Both, iron deficiency and lead poisoning are the major caus-ative factors responsible for the prevalence of anemia within the vulnerable population, especially in children. Although some of the intervention programs of counteracting lead poisoning by iron supplementation proved to be effective in the Pb-exposed population, the exact mechanisms of this interaction still require further studies. The objective of the presented study was to examine the association of iron level on oxidative stress measures and its effects on the severity of lead toxicity in the exposed population. Methods: The analyzed population consisted of 270 male workers from the lead-zinc smelter. The studied pop-ulation was divided into two sub-groups based on the serum iron concentration: low iron level group (L-Fe; Fe median value). Measured traits comprised of blood lead (PbB), serum Fe and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels as well as a blood count and oxidative stress markers. Results: No significant correlation between serum iron concentration and PbB in the tested cohort was found. On the contrary, the analysis of ZPP levels (long-term marker related to a hematologic toxic effect of Pb) within the subgroups differing in serum Fe level shown that ZPP was 12.3 % lower (p =0.043) in subjects classified within the H-Fe group. A positive correlation of serum Fe and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was found (R =0.1999). The conducted 3-D PCA analysis showed that individuals classified within the H-Fe group were characterized by the co-occurrence of higher Fe levels, lower ZPP, and higher TAC value. Conclusion: These results support the existing evidence providing that maintaining the optimal status of Fe may play a significant role in preventing the lead poisoning and alleviating harmful effects of Pb on the oxidative balance in humans

Amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction in the developmental period: prenatally, in childhood, and adolescence — case reports and a review of the literature

Introduction: Amiodarone is an important antiarrhythmic drug used in paediatric practice, mainly in children with complex congenital cardiac diseases and/or severe arrhythmias. One of the side effects of amiodarone therapy is thyroid dysfunction, which is observed in about 20% of patients. The thyroid dysfunction may present with various forms: from subclinical changes in hormone levels to amiodaroneinduced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) and amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism (AIH). Material and methods: We reported six patients in the age range from two weeks to 14 years, with complex congenital cardiac diseases and severe arrhythmias, who developed amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunctions: thyrotoxicosis or hypothyroidism or both together. The clinical signs and symptoms of all thyroid dysfunctions were atypical, most patients presented with an aggravation of heart insufficiency. Our patients with thyrotoxicosis were treated with combined therapy including thionamides and corticosteroids due to the presentation of mixed-identified type of AIT. Results: Currently, five patients (one patient’s status is unknown) are in biochemical and clinical euthyreosis; however, in one of them it was impossible to discharge amiodarone treatment. Three of them are still treated with levothyroxine, and two do not need thyroid treatment. Conclusions: Amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction is usually atypical; therefore, monitoring of thyroid status before, during, and after amiodarone is demanded. AIH could significantly influence the development of the child, while AIT could significantly deteriorate the clinical status of children with complex cardiac diseases. Early and proper diagnose of AIT and AIH allows the introduction of immediate and appropriate treatment considering the cardiac condition of the young patient

Wpływ pandemii COVID-19 na zdrowie psychiczne studentów kierunku lekarskiego w Polsce

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on people’s lives, becoming a factor affecting the health and well-being of individuals. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the experiences and feelings accompanying medical students in Poland during the pandemic and the occurrence of anxiety, depression and excessive daytime sleepiness. Material and methods: For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed on the “LimeSurvey” portal. The questionnaire contained 4 parts: questions about personal experiences of the pandemic, Beck depression test, GAD-7 generalized anxiety questionnaire and ESS sleepiness scale. The results collected from I-VI year medical students from 20 medical universities in Poland were processed using the statistical program “Statistica.” 2339 correctly completed questionnaires were obtained. Results: It turned out that 22.6% of the respondents had experienced the death of a loved one during the pandemic, and among 29.9% of the students there were severe cases of the disease in the family. More than 49% of the respondents felt anxiety about the possibility of their loved ones contracting COVID. 19% of respondents had temporarily lost contact with loved ones. The responses significantly correlated with the severity of depression as measured by the Beck scale, increased anxiety on the GAD-7 test and increased sleepiness on the ESS scale. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health of medicalstudents. For this reason, consideration should be given to providing easy access to specialized psychological helpfor the academic community.Wstęp: Pandemia COVID-19 wywarła ogromny wpływ na życie ludzi, stając się czynnikiem oddziałującym na zdrowie i samopoczucie jednostek na całym świecie. Celem badania było wykazanie zależności między doświadczeniami i odczuciami towarzyszącymi studentom kierunków lekarskich w Polsce podczas pandemii a występowaniem wybranych zaburzeń psychicznych. Materiał i metody: W celu zebrania danych zaprojektowano ankietę na portalu “LimeSurvey”. Autorski kwestionariusz zawierał 4 części: pytania dotyczące osobistych doświadczeń związanych z pandemią, test na depresję Becka, kwestionariusz lęku uogólnionego GAD-7 oraz skalę senności ESS. Wyniki zebrane od studentów I–VI roku kierunku lekarskiego z 20 uczelni medycznych w Polsce zostały opracowane w programie statystycznym “Statistica”. Uzyskano 2339 prawidłowo wypełnionych kwestionariuszy. Wyniki: Śmierci bliskiej osoby w okresie pandemii doświadczyło 22,6% badanych, a wśród 29,9% studentów w rodzinie wystąpiły ciężkie przypadki choroby. Ponad 49% badanych odczuwało lęk związany z możliwością zachorowania bliskich na COVID. 19% badanych utraciło czasowo kontakt z bliskimi osobami. Wnioski: Uzyskane odpowiedzi istotnie wiązały się z nasileniem depresji mierzonej w skali Becka, podwyższeniem poziomu lęku w teście GAD-7 oraz nasileniem senności w skali ESS. Wyniki badania wskazują, że tocząca się pandemia wywarła negatywny wpływ na zdrowie psychiczne studentów medycyny. W związku z tym należy rozważyć zapewnienie łatwego dostępu do specjalistycznej pomocy psychologicznej dla środowiska akademickiego

Serum antinuclear autoantibodies are associated with measures of oxidative stress and lifestyle factors:analysis of LIPIDOGRAM2015 and LIPIDOGEN2015 studies

Introduction: Oxidative stress is one of many factors suspected to promote antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) formation. Reactive oxygen species can induce changes in the antigenic structure of macromolecules, causing the immune system to treat them as “neo-antigens” and start production of autoantibodies. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress markers, lifestyle factors and the detection of ANA. Material and methods: We examined measures of oxidative stress indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins, such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentration of protein thiol groups (PSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in 1731 serum samples. The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid (UA) concentration, were also measured and the oxidative stress index (OSI-index) was calculated. All samples were tested for the presence of ANA using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA). Results: The presence of ANA in women was associated with lower physical activity (p = 0.036), less frequent smoking (p = 0.007) and drinking of alcohol (p = 0.024) accompanied by significant changes in SOD isoenzymes activity (p &lt; 0.001) and a higher uric acid (UA) concentration (p &lt; 0.001). In ANA positive males we observed lower concentrations of PSH (p = 0.046) and increased concentrations of MDA (p = 0.047). Conclusions: The results indicate that local oxidative stress may be associated with increased probability of ANA formation in a sex-specific manner.</p

Relationship Between Anti-DFS70 Autoantibodies and Oxidative Stress

Background: The anti-DFS70 autoantibodies are one of the most commonly and widely described agent of unknown clinical significance, frequently detected in healthy individuals. It is not known whether the DFS70 autoantibodies are protective or pathogenic. One of the factors suspected of inducing the formation of anti-DFS70 antibodies is increased oxidative stress. We evaluated the coexistence of anti-DFS70 antibodies with selected markers of oxidative stress and investigated whether these antibodies could be considered as indirect markers of oxidative stress.Methods: The intensity of oxidative stress was measured in all samples via indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides (LPH), lipofuscin (LPS), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid concentration (UA), were also measured, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Based on TOS and TAS values, the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. All samples were also tested with indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and 357 samples were selected for direct monospecific anti DFS70 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing.Results: The anti-DFS70 antibodies were confirmed by ELISA test in 21.29% of samples. Compared with anti-DFS70 negative samples we observed 23% lower concentration of LPH (P = .038) and 11% lower concentration of UA (P = .005). TOS was 20% lower (P = .014). The activity of SOD was up to 5% higher (P = .037). The Pearson correlation showed weak negative correlation for LPH, UA, and TOS and a weak positive correlation for SOD activity.Conclusion: In samples positive for the anti-DFS70 antibody a decreased level of oxidative stress was observed, especially in the case of samples with a high antibody titer. Anti-DFS70 antibodies can be considered as an indirect marker of reduced oxidative stress or a marker indicating the recent intensification of antioxidant processes.</p

Analysis of the impact of sex and age on the variation in the prevalence of antinuclear autoantibodies in Polish population : a nationwide observational, cross-sectional study

The detection of antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) is dependent on many factors and varies between the populations. The aim of the study was first to assess the prevalence of ANA in the Polish adult population depending on age, sex and the cutoff threshold used for the results obtained. Second, we estimated the occurrence of individual types of ANA-staining patterns. We tested 1731 patient samples using commercially available IIFA using two cutoff thresholds of 1:100 and 1:160. We found ANA in 260 participants (15.0%), but the percentage of positive results strongly depended on the cutoff level. For a cutoff threshold 1:100, the positive population was 19.5% and for the 1:160 cutoff threshold, it was 11.7%. The most prevalent ANA-staining pattern was AC-2 Dense Fine speckled (50%), followed by AC-21 Reticular/AMA (14.38%) ANA more common in women (72%); 64% of ANA-positive patients were over 50 years of age. ANA prevalence in the Polish population is at a level observed in other highly developed countries and is more prevalent in women and elderly individuals. To reduce the number of positive results released, we suggest that Polish laboratories should set 1:160 as the cutoff threshold. © 2021, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 30 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Fadi Charchar" is provided in this record*

Relationship between anti-DFS70 autoantibodies and oxidative stress

Background: The anti-DFS70 autoantibodies are one of the most commonly and widely described agent of unknown clinical significance, frequently detected in healthy individuals. It is not known whether the DFS70 autoantibodies are protective or pathogenic. One of the factors suspected of inducing the formation of anti-DFS70 antibodies is increased oxidative stress. We evaluated the coexistence of anti-DFS70 antibodies with selected markers of oxidative stress and investigated whether these antibodies could be considered as indirect markers of oxidative stress. Methods: The intensity of oxidative stress was measured in all samples via indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides (LPH), lipofuscin (LPS), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid concentration (UA), were also measured, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Based on TOS and TAS values, the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. All samples were also tested with indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and 357 samples were selected for direct monospecific anti DFS70 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing. Results: The anti-DFS70 antibodies were confirmed by ELISA test in 21.29% of samples. Compared with anti-DFS70 negative samples we observed 23% lower concentration of LPH (P =.038) and 11% lower concentration of UA (P =.005). TOS was 20% lower (P =.014). The activity of SOD was up to 5% higher (P =.037). The Pearson correlation showed weak negative correlation for LPH, UA, and TOS and a weak positive correlation for SOD activity. Conclusion: In samples positive for the anti-DFS70 antibody a decreased level of oxidative stress was observed, especially in the case of samples with a high antibody titer. Anti-DFS70 antibodies can be considered as an indirect marker of reduced oxidative stress or a marker indicating the recent intensification of antioxidant processes. © The Author(s) 2022. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 30 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Fadi Charchar” is provided in this record*

Serum antinuclear autoantibodies are associated with measures of oxidative stress and lifestyle factors - analysis of LIPIDOGRAM2015 and LIPIDOGEN2015 studies

Introduction: Oxidative stress is one of many factors suspected to promote antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) formation. Reactive oxygen species can induce changes in the antigenic structure of macromolecules, causing the immune system to treat them as “neo-antigens” and start production of autoantibodies. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress markers, lifestyle factors and the detection of ANA. Material and methods: We examined measures of oxidative stress indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins, such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentration of protein thiol groups (PSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in in 1731 serum samples. The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid concentration (UA), were also measured and the oxidative stress index (OSI -index) was calculated. All samples were tested for the presence of ANA using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA). Results: The presence of ANA in women was associated with lower physical activity (p=0.036), less frequent smoking (p=0.007) and drinking of alcohol (p=0.024) accompanied by significant changes in SOD isoenzymes activity (p&lt;0.001) and a higher uric acid (UA) concentration (p&lt;0.001). In ANA positive males we observed lower concentrations of PSH (p=0.046) and increased concentrations of MDA (p=0.047). Conclusions: The results indicate that local oxidative stress may be associated with increased probability of ANA formation in a sex-specific manner

Catalase activity and concentration iron in human semen

INTRODUCTION The activity of antioxidant system enzymes in human semen might be age dependent, thus the quality of it may get worse. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the age, catalase activity and iron concentration in seminal plasma and the influence of these factors on the quality of semen. MATERIALS AND METHODS Normospermic semen samples were obtained from 63 men (range, 22–37 years) and divided in two age groups: under 33 (group I) and over 33 years old (group II). The semen parameters, catalase activity and iron concentration were determined in seminal plasma. RESULTS We observed that in group II the iron concentration in seminal plasma increased but sperm motility (especially linear progressive motility) dropped with age. A lower semen volume showed a significant increase in catalase activity as well as iron concentration. Increasing catalase activity showed a significant positive relationship with better sperm quality. We found positive correlations between catalase activity and iron concentration. CONCLUSION Catalase has a protective effect on sperm cell membranes. Iron concentration in seminal plasma rises in an age dependent manner which may contribute to sperm cells damage.WSTĘP Aktywność enzymów wchodzących w skład układu antyoksydacyjego nasienia może w miarę starzenia organizmu ulec osłabieniu, co może być przyczyną obniżenia zdolności zapładniającej nasienia. Celem pracy było ustalenie, czy wraz z wiekiem zmieniają się aktywność katalazy i stężenie żelaza w nasieniu ludzkim i jak zmiany te wpływają na jego jakość. MATERIAŁ I METODY Materiał badany stanowiło nasienie o prawidłowej morfologii pobrane od 63 mężczyzn w wieku od 28 do 37 lat (grupa I – do 33 roku życia; grupa II – powyżej 33 roku życia). Wykonano badanie morfologiczne nasienia, oznaczono aktywność katalazy i stężenie żelaza w plazmie nasiennej. WYNIKI Stwierdzono, że wraz z wiekiem obniża się liczba plemników ruchliwych, zwłaszcza o ruchu linearnym, natomiast zwiększa się stężenie żelaza. Wraz ze spadkiem objętości nasienia wzrasta aktywność katalazy i stężenie żelaza, zaś wzrostowi aktywności katalazy towarzyszy wzrost stężenia ruchliwych plemników. Wykazano ponadto dodatnią korelację pomiędzy aktywnością katalazy a stężeniem żelaza. WNIOSKI Katalaza wykazuje działanie ochronne na błonę komórkową plemników. Stężenie żelaza w plazmie nasienia wzrasta u mężczyzn wraz z wiekiem, co może przyczyniać się do uszkodzenia plemników

Influence of iron on sperm motility and selected oxidative stress parameters in fertile males – a pilot study

Introduction The presented study was designed to investigate the associations between iron level in seminal plasma and levels of the parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence system and selected cytokines in the seminal plasma of fertile males. Material and Methods The study population consisted of 65 fertile male volunteers from the southern region of Poland. Based on the medians of the levels of iron in seminal plasma, the study subjects were divided into 2 groups: with low and high levels of iron in seminal plasma (Fe-L and Fe-H). Results The percentage of unprogressively motile sperm cells after 1 hour was significantly higher in the Fe-H group, compared to the Fe-L group. The activities of SOD and Mn-SOD and the level of MDA were significantly lower in the Fe-H group, compared to the Fe-L group. However, the value of TOC and OSI were significantly higher in the Fe-H group, compared to the Fe-L group. Median of IL-1β was significantly higher in the Fe-H group, compared to the Fe-L group, whereas medians of IL-2, IL-5, and GM-CSF were significantly lower in the Fe-H group. Conclusions In fertile males, iron may negatively affect sperm motility and elevate oxidative stress intensity. Iron additionally modulates the levels of several cytokines in human semen