Cerebral metastases of lung cancer mimicking multiple ischaemic lesions : a case report and review of literature

Background: Restricted diffusion that is found on magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) typically indicates acute ischaemic stroke. However, restricted diffusion can also occur in other diseases, like metastatic brain tumours, which we describe in this case report. Case Report: A 57-year-old male, with a diagnosis of small-cell cancer of the right lung (microcellular anaplastic carcinoma), was admitted with focal neurological symptoms. Initial brain MRI revealed multiple, disseminated lesions that were hyperintense on T2-weighted images and did not enhance after contrast administration; notably, some lesions manifested restricted diffusion on DWI images. Based on these findings, disseminated ischaemic lesions were diagnosed. On follow-up MRI that was performed after 2 weeks, we observed enlargement of the lesions; there were multiple, disseminated, sharply outlined, contrast-enhancing, oval foci with persistent restriction of diffusion. We diagnosed the lesions as disseminated brain metastases due to lung cancer. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a patient with brain metastases that were characterised by restricted diffusion and no contrast enhancement. Conclusions: Multiple, disseminated brain lesions, that are characterised by restricted diffusion on DWI, typically indicate acute or hyperacute ischemic infarcts; however, they can also be due to hypercellular metastases, even if no contrast enhancement is observed. This latter possibility should be considered particularly in patients with cancer

Terapia komórkowa w neurologii — obawy i nadzieje

Opracowanie standardów kontroli bezpieczeństwa i efektywnośc iterapii chorób neurologicznych na podstawie unikatowych właściwości komórek macierzystych stanowi pilne zadanie dl środowiska lekarskiego. Większość z zarejestrowanych do tej pory badań klinicznych oparto na autologicznych przeszczepieniach mezenchymalnych komórek macierzystych (MSC, mesenchymal stem cells, alternatywnie mesenchymal stromal cells) otrzymywanych w warunkach hodowlanych in vitro z różnych, dojrzałych i płodowych tkanek ludzkich, których pierwotne pochodzenie i precyzyjny rodowód pozostają przedmiotem dyskusji. W przeprowadzonych badaniach klinicznych nad terapią komórkami macierzystymi, z których ponad 80% dotyczyło chorób układu nerwowego, nie zaobserwowano poważniejszych powikłań zagrażający życiu i zdrowiu pacjentów. Wskazuje to na wysoki stopień bezpieczeństwa terapii z zastosowaniem komórek macierzystych/progenitorowych pochodzenia tkankowego, jednak ostateczne potwierdzenie tego wniosku wymaga rozszerzonego zakresu badań podstawowych, a przede wszystkim dłuższego czasu obserwacji pacjentów. Należy się także spodziewać, że lepsze poznanie mechanizmów terapeutycznego działania komórek macierzystych wraz z ustaleniem opartych na nich standardów postępowania lekarskiego doprowadzi do zwiększonej skuteczności tych terapii

The impact of indoor air pollution on the lung cancer – literature review

Introduction: Lung cancer is the most diagnosed type of cancer and the leading cause of death around the world. The most important risk factor for lung cancer is tobacco smoking. However, there are a lot of other lung cancer risk factors, which include: second-hand smoke exposure, environmental exposures (indoor and outdoor air pollution), occupational exposures, genetic predisposition, and previous lung disease. In this study, we would like to present the actual state of knowledge about the influence of radon as well as other indoor air pollutants on the prevalence of lung cancer. State of knowledge: We analyzed nineteen studies in terms of the impact of indoor air pollution on morbidity and mortality caused by lung cancer. The authors of the included studies agree that both radon and other household air pollution (HAP) increase risk of the lung cancer. HAPs are formed during the combustion of solid fuels (i.e. charcoal, wood). Indoor air pollution can cause in the lungs chronic inflammation, cells damage and their proliferation, depletion of antioxidants, impairment of defense mechanisms, production of reactive oxygen species as well as genetic mutations. Radon, on the other hand, emits alpha radiation, which can affect the respiratory epithelium and produce various cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, which promote carcinogenesis. The risk of lung cancer rises by approximately 6-16% per 100 Bq/m3 increase in long-time average residential radon concentration.  Conclusions: Radon and other indoor air pollutants are crucial lung cancer risk factors. It is essential to reduce HAPs production, especially in rural areas, where many people still use coal, wood, or straw for household heating and cooking. Moreover, there are regions where is a need to improve ventilation as well as to switch to clean fuel sources, such as gas and electricity. These activities will contribute to reducing the concentration of HAPs in buildings and decreasing the risk of lung cancer

Adverse effects in the management of breast cancer – recent studies

Introduction and purpose Breast cancer (BC) management includes local therapies surgery, radiotherapy and systemic – hormonotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted and immunotherapy. However, some adverse events of these treatment strategies limit their wide administration in BC therapy. The aim of the study was to present adverse effects in the management of BC, prevention and treatment of them. State of the knowledge Surgery of the breast leads to lymphedema, pain, and anatomical changes. The most characteristic adverse event of radiotherapy is radiation dermatitis which is more probable among obese, older patients, females, and smokers. Other side effects are pneumonia, cardiac and pulmonary injury. Chemotherapeutics lead to complications such as anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity. As a consequence of endocrine therapy, patients are affected by vasomotor, musculoskeletal, and vulvovaginal symptoms. Immune checkpoint inhibitors may cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which are usually mild. When severe irAEs occur, immunosuppressive drugs are used. Depending on stage, toxicities of the therapies can lead to interrupting the treatment of BC. Moreover, drug resistance is an important therapeutic obstacle in BC treatment.  Conclusion The application of a diversity of drugs in the treatment of breast cancer is associated with adverse effects which limit its efficacy. It is vital to develop novel, targeted therapeutic methods to optimize outcomes of patients. Given the adverse effects of breast cancer therapies and drug resistance, it is vital to develop novel, targeted therapeutic methods

Integrative medicine - combination of conventional medicine and traditional herbal medicine may find its potential applications in the treatment of certain dermatological and endocrine diseases – review of the literature

Introduction and purpose   Traditional Chinese herbal medicine is an integral component of a comprehensive healing system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Within TCM, herbs are utilized to rebalance the energy forces of Yin and Yang, which flow through imperceptible channels within the body with the aim of restoring energy equilibrium. It is important to acknowledge that herbs have the potential to exert significant effects on the body comparable to pharmaceutical drugs, and therefore, should be approached with equal caution and respect The aim of the study was to present the current state of knowledge about the potential use of Chinese herbs in the treatment of certain dermatological and endocrine diseases.   State of the knowledge Chinese medicine has found application in various diseases and health conditions, both physical and mental. In the studies delving into dermatological diseases, Chinese medicine therapy resulted in a reduction in chronic urticaria activity and psoriasis area severity index. In addition, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) effectively improved the response rate and reduced the maximum nodule diameter of benign thyroid nodules. Furthermore it was reported that certain Chinese herbs improve the functioning of mitochondria in β-cells contributing to better management of patients with diabetes mellitus.   Conclusion Chinese medicine seems to be a valuable supplement to conventional medicine in the treatment of some chronic diseases. Simultaneously, our focus should be on the development of a new wave of pharmaceutical products that guarantee high efficacy and low toxicity conforming to international standards. It is imperative to enhance research in Chinese medicine and advance engineering technologies to ensure the superior quality of TCM preparations

Telemonitoring in Long-COVID Patients—Preliminary Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the high usefulness of telemedicine. To date, no uniform recommendations or diagnostic protocols for long-COVID patients have been developed. This article presents the preliminary results of the examination of patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection who were provided with medical telemonitoring devices in order to oversee their pulmonological and cardiological health. Three cases have been analyzed. Each patient underwent a 10-day registration of basic vital signs, in three 15-min sessions daily: RR (respiratory rate), ECG (electrocardiogram), HR (pulse), SPO2 (saturation), body temperature and cough. Rule methods and machine learning were employed to automatically detect events. As a result, serious disorders of all the three patients were detected: cardiological and respiratory disorders that required extended diagnostics. Furthermore, average values of the selected parameters (RR, HR, SPO2) were calculated for every patient, including an indication of how often they exceeded the alarm thresholds. In conclusion, monitoring parameters in patients using telemedicine, especially in a time of limited access to the healthcare system, is a valuable clinical instrument. It enables medical professionals to recognize conditions which may endanger a patient’s health or life. Telemedicine provides a reliable assessment of a patient’s health status made over a distance, which can alleviate a patient’s stress caused by long-COVID syndrome. Telemedicine allows identification of disorders and performing further diagnosis, which is possible owing to the implementation of advanced analysis. Telemedicine, however, requires flexibility and the engagement of a multidisciplinary team, who will respond to patients’ problems on an ongoing basis

The Use of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Selected Skin Diseases (Vitiligo, Alopecia, and Nonhealing Wounds)

The promising results derived from the use of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in many diseases are a subject of observation in preclinical studies. ADSCs seem to be the ideal cell population for the use in regenerative medicine due to their easy isolation, nonimmunogenic properties, multipotential nature, possibilities for differentiation into various cell lines, and potential for angiogenesis. This article reviews the current data on the use of ADSCs in the treatment of vitiligo, various types of hair loss, and the healing of chronic wounds

ROS-scavengers, osmoprotectants and violaxanthin de-epoxidation in salt-stressed Arabidopsis thaliana with different tocopherol composition

To determine the role of α- and γ-tocopherol (TC), this study compared the response to salt stress (200 mM NaCl) in wild type (WT) Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. And its two mutants: (1) totally TC-deficient vte1; (2) vte4 accumulating γ-TC instead of α-TC; and (3) tmt transgenic line overaccumulating α-TC. Raman spectra revealed that salt-exposed α-TC accumulating plants were more flexible in regulating chlorophyll, carotenoid and polysaccharide levels than TC deficient mutants, while the plants overaccumulating γ-TC had the lowest levels of these biocompounds. Tocopherol composition and NaCl concentration affected xanthophyll cycle by changing the rate of violaxanthin de-epoxidation and zeaxanthin formation. NaCl treated plants with altered TC composition accumulated less oligosaccharides than WT plants. α-TC deficient plants increased their oligosaccharide levels and reduced maltose amount, while excessive accumulation of α-TC corresponded with enhanced amounts of maltose. Salt-stressed TC-deficient mutants and tmt transgenic line exhibited greater proline levels than WT plants, lower chlorogenic acid levels, and lower activity of catalase and peroxidases. α-TC accumulating plants produced more methylated proline- and glycine- betaines, and showed greater activity of superoxide dismutase than γ-TC deficient plants. Under salt stress, α-TC demonstrated a stronger regulatory effect on carbon- and nitrogen-related metabolites reorganization and modulation of antioxidant patterns than γ-TC. This suggested different links of α- and γ-TCs with various metabolic pathways via various functions and metabolic loops

Variation Among Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes in Response to the Drought Stress. II—Root System Structure

(1) Background: The study analyzed wheat morphological traits to assess the role of roots structure in the tolerance of drought and to recognize the mechanisms of root structure adjustment to dry soil environment. (2) Methods: Root-box and root-basket methods were applied to maintain an intact root system for analysis. (3) Results: Phenotypic differences among six genotypes with variable drought susceptibility index were found. Under drought, the resistant genotypes lowered their shoot-to-root ratio. Dry matter, number, length, and diameter of nodal and lateral roots were higher in drought-tolerant genotypes than in sensitive ones. The differences in the surface area of the roots were greater in the upper parts of the root system (in the soil layer between 0 and 15 cm) and resulted from the growth of roots of the tolerant plant at an angle of 0–30° and 30–60°. (4) Conclusions: Regulation of root bending in a more downward direction can be important but is not a priority in avoiding drought effects by tolerant plants. If this trait is reduced and accompanied by restricted root development in the upper part of the soil, it becomes a critical factor promoting plant sensitivity to water-limiting conditions