Candida Distribution in Onychomycosis and in vitro Susceptibility to Antifungal Agents

The aim of this study was to determine distribution of the Candida (C.) species in onychomycosis and analyses in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole and itraconazole. In recent years, cases of onychomycosis in Lithuania caused by Candida have increased significantly. In the period between 2009 and 2016, a total of 8149 clinical cases (outpatients and inpatients) were investigated at the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics (VUH SC). Candida yeasts were identified using VITEK 2 (BioMerieux, France) and IVD Maldi biotyper 2.3 (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Germany), automated systems for identification of yeasts. The antifungal susceptibility to the Candida species were determined by disc diffusion. Candida spp. were the most frequently isolated pathogens in onychomycosis during the investigation period. The main species in onychomycosis were C. albicans (38.6%), followed by C. krusei (33.7%), C. tropicalis (11.1%), C. parapsilosis (7.9%), and other Candida (8.7%). The different antifungal susceptibility patterns among Candida species confirm the need to perform antifungal susceptibility in vitro testing of yeasts from patients with onychomycosi

Candida Distribution in Onychomycosis and in vitro Susceptibility to Antifungal Agents

The aim of this study was to determine distribution of the Candida (C.) species in onychomycosis and analyses in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole and itraconazole. In recent years, cases of onychomycosis in Lithuania caused by Candida have increased significantly. In the period between 2009 and 2016, a total of 8149 clinical cases (outpatients and inpatients) were investigated at the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics (VUH SC). Candida yeasts were identified using VITEK 2 (BioMerieux, France) and IVD Maldi biotyper 2.3 (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Germany), automated systems for identification of yeasts. The antifungal susceptibility to the Candida species were determined by disc diffusion. Candida spp. were the most frequently isolated pathogens in onychomycosis during the investigation period. The main species in onychomycosis were C. albicans (38.6%), followed by C. krusei (33.7%), C. tropicalis (11.1%), C. parapsilosis (7.9%), and other Candida (8.7%). The different antifungal susceptibility patterns among Candida species confirm the need to perform antifungal susceptibility in vitro testing of yeasts from patients with onychomycosi

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Uric Acid and Calcium–based Kidney Stones

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with uric acid and calcium–based kidney stones and to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and type of kidney stone using infrared spectroscopy to evaluate the chemical composition of kidney stonesSixty patients with urolithiasis were examined. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to clinical and laboratory criteria. Weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure of patients were measured. Blood tests were performed. Concentrations of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and uric acid in blood, were analyzed. The kidney stones of patients were removed and the composition of each kidney stone was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 55% of the patients; 86.7% of patients with uric acid (UA) kidney stones and 44.4% of patients with calcium (Ca) based stones had metabolic syndrome. All patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were overweight or obese. Even though there were no statistically significant differences observed concerning the anthropometrical measures and arterial blood pressure (BP) between the UA stone formers and Ca–based stone formers, the results show a trend that failed to reach significance: higher waist size, BMI and arterial BP means in the group of patients with UA stones than in the patients with Ca–based stones. No statistically significant differences in lipid profile between the groups were found. Concentration of UA in blood serum was significantly higher in patients with UA kidney stones than it was in patients with Ca–based kidney stones. Significant positive correlation between triglycerides and serum UA concentrations, as well as body mass index and serum UA concentration, and negative correlation between concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and UA was found.Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome was more prevalent in patients with uric acid stones than in the patients with calcium–based kidney stones, even though this relationship was not statistically significant, most likely because of the limited number of patients investigated

Cardiorespiratory fitness and diet quality profile of the Lithuanian team of deaf women’s basketball players

There are about 466 million people with hearing impairments in the world. The scientific literature does not provide sufficient data on the actual nutrition and other variables of professional deaf athletes. The objectives of this study were to investigate and evaluate the body composition, the physical working capacity, the nutrition intake, and the blood parameters of iron and vitamin D in the Lithuanian high-performance deaf women’s basketball team players. The female athletes (n = 14) of the Lithuanian deaf basketball team aged 26.4 ± 4.5 years were recruited for an observational cross-sectional study. A 7-day food recall survey method was used to investigate their actual diet. The measurements of the body composition were performed using the BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis) tetra-polar electrodes. In order to assess the cardiorespiratory and aerobic fitness levels of athletes, ergo-spirometry (on a cycle ergometer) was used to measure the peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and the physical working capacity at a heart rate of 170 beats per minute (PWC170). The athletes’ blood tests were taken to investigate the red blood cells, hemoglobin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ferritin, transferrin, iron concentrations, and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC). The consideration of the VO2peak (55.9 ± 6.1 mL/min/kg of body weight, 95% CI: 51.8, 58.9) and the low VO2peak (56–60 mL/min/kg of body weight) (p = 0.966) in the deaf women’s basketball team players revealed no differences. For the deaf female athletes, the PWC170 was equal to 20.3 ± 2.0 kgm/min/kg of body weight and represented only the average aerobic fitness level. The carbohydrate and protein intakes (5.0 ± 1.3 and 1.3 ± 0.3 g/kg of body weight, respectively) met only the minimum levels recommended for athletes. The fat content of the diet (38.1 ± 4.1% of energy intake) exceeded the maximum recommended content (35% of energy intake) (p = 0.012). The mean blood serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and ferritin (24.1 ± 6.6 nmol/L and 11.0 ± 4.1 µg/L, respectively) predicted vitamin D and iron deficits in athletes. Female athletes had an increased risk of vitamin D and iron deficiencies. Regardless of iron deficiency in the body, the better cardiorespiratory fitness of the deaf female athletes was essentially correlated with the higher skeletal muscle mass (in terms of size) (r = 0.61, p = 0.023), the lower percentage of body fat mass (r = −0.53, p = 0.049), and the reduced intake of fat (r = −0.57, p = 0.040)

Actual nutrition and dietary supplementation in Lithuanian elite athletes

Background and objectives: Health is partly determined by the state of one’s nutrition; it stimulates the body’s functional and metabolic adaptations to physical strain and helps one prevent sports injuries and get in shape in terms of body composition. This study aims to investigate the actual nutrition and dietary supplements taken by elite Lithuanian athletes and to identify the relationship between the dietary intake, dietary supplementation and body composition of elite athletes. Materials and Methods: The research subjects were 76.7% of Lithuanian elite athletes (N = 247). The actual diet was investigated using the 24 h recall dietary survey method. Dietary supplementation was studied applying the questionnaire method. Measurements of body composition were performed using the BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis) tetra-polar electrodes and measuring resistivity with 8–12 tangent electrodes at di erent frequencies of signal: 5, 50 and 250 kHz. Results: Results indicate that among the athletes, 62% use too few carbohydrates and 77% use too much fat. Although the 3.5% increase in lean body mass (95% CI: 0.107, 7.070) helps gain an increased protein intake with food (p = 0.057), 38% of athletes consume too little protein with food. The athletes mostly use carbohydrates (86%), vitamins (81%), protein supplements (70%), and multivitamins (62%). We did not determine the impact (p > 0.05) of individual or complex supplement use on the lean body mass (%) or fat mass (%) values of athletes. Conclusions: Athletes consume insucient carbohydrates, vitamin D, calcium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and too much fat, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and they use proteins irrationally. Sport nutritionists should also focus on the risk of malnutrition for female athletes. Nutritional supplements partially o set macronutrient and micronutrient deficiency. Nevertheless, the e ect of food supplements on the body composition of athletes is too small compared to the normal diet. Athletes ought to prioritize the formation of eating habits and only then use supplements

The effect of nutrition on the muscle mass of Lithuanian high performance athletes

Siekiant geresnių sportinių rezultatų, sportininkams būtina išugdyti santykinai didelę raumenų masę. Anabolinis su maistu vartojamų aminorūgščių poveikis naujai sintetinamiems baltymams priklauso nuo vartojamų baltymų kiekio ir kokybinės aminorūgščių sudėties. Esant nepakankamam endogeninių nepakeičiamųjų aminorūgščių prieinamumui, baltymų sintezės greitis raumenyse gali sumažėti. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti Lietuvos didelio meistriškumo sportininkų mitybos daromą įtaką raumenų masei. Buvo tirti 18,0 ± 3,3 metų amžiaus Lietuvos didelio meistriškumo sportininkai (n = 323). Sportininkų raumenų masės matavimai atlikti pasitelkus BIA tetrapoliarinį elektrodų metodą. Faktinės mitybos tyrimas atliktas taikant 24 valandų faktinės mitybos apklausos metodą. Sportininkų vartojami baltymų ir angliavandenių kiekis sudaro atitinkamai 1,7 ± 0,6 g/kg ir 5,5 ± 2,1 g/kg kūno masės. Sportininkų vartojamų visų nepakeičiamųjų aminorūgščių kiekis yra didesnis už rekomenduojamus. 5,5 kg didesnę sportininkų raumenų masę lemia tik didesnio baltymų kiekio vartojimas (95 % PI: 1,0; 10,1; p = 0,016). Neatsižvelgiant į angliavandenių vartojimą, didesnę sportininkų raumenų masę labiausiai lemia tik padidintas baltymų ir aminorūgščių vartojimas. Padidintas aminorūgščių leucino, valino ir arginino vartojimas daro teigiamą įtaką raumenų masės didinimui, tačiau galimai išbalansuoja sportininkų maisto raciono aminorūgščių kokybinę sudėtį.For better athletic performance, athletes need to develop relatively high muscle mass. The anabolic effect of dietary amino acids on newly synthesized muscle proteins depends on the amount of protein intake and the qualitative amino acid composition of food rations. Due to the insufficient availability of endogenous essential amino acids, the rate of muscle protein synthesis may be reduced. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Lithuanian high performance athletes’ diet on muscle mass hypertrophy. Lithuanian high performance athletes aged 18.0 ± 3.3 years (n = 323) were studied. Measurements of athletes’ muscle mass were performed using the BIA tetra-polar electrode method. The actual nutrition study was conducted using the 24-hour food recall method. The amounts of protein and carbohydrates intake by athletes are 1.7 ± 0.6 g/kg and 5.5 ± 2.1 g/kg of body weight, respectively. The amounts of all essential amino acids consumed by athletes are higher than recommended. The 5.5 kg increase in muscle mass of athletes is due only to the consumption of higher protein content (95% CI: 1.0; 10.1; p = 0.016). Regardless of carbohydrate intake, the increased muscle mass of athletes is largely due to increased protein and amino acid intake. Increased intake of the amino acids leucine, valine, and arginine has a positive effect on muscle mass gain, but potentially unbalances the qualitative composition of amino acids in athletes’ diets

Dietary acid-base balance in high-performance athletes

Physical exercise leads to metabolic changes that affect the acid-base balance in skeletal muscles and other tissues. Nutrition is one of the factors that may influence the acid-base balance in the body. Keeping alkaline circumstances in the body is important not only for health and athletic performance in training but also during competition in many sport events. This is especially significant for athletes who practice in sport at the highest level of competition. The aim of the study was to determine the dietary acid-base balance in competitive Lithuanian high-performance athletes, and to evaluate the effect of actual diets of athletes on NEAP (net endogenous acid production), muscle mass and body mineral content during a four-year Olympic cycle. The research participants were 18.1 ± 3.3-year-old Lithuanian high performance athletes (n = 323). The actual diet was investigated using the 24 h recall dietary survey method. The measurements of body composition were performed using BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis). The potential renal acid load of the diets of athletes (dietary PRAL) and NEAP were calculated. In 10.2% of athletes, NEAP exceeds 100 mEq ⋅ day−1 and is on average 126.1 ± 32.7 mEq ⋅ day−1. Higher NEAP in athletes is associated with lower muscle mass (β -1.2% of body weight, p < 0.001) but has no effect on the amount of minerals in the body (β 0.01% of body weight, p = 0.073). Overall, 25–30% of Lithuanian high-performance athletes use high-protein diets (2.0–4.8 g ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ day−1) leading to a dietary acid-base imbalance as well as an excessive production of endogenous acids in the body. Athletes are recommended to consume higher amounts of potassium and magnesium. An increase in calcium intake up to 1500 mg per day is recommended. In exceptional cases, periodised nutrition for athletes may involve diets complemented with bicarbonate and/or beta-alanine supplements

Epicardial adipose tissue accumulation and essential hypertension in non‐obese adults

Background and Objectives: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is shown to be an important factor in the development of coronary artery disease, but numerous pathophysiological mechanisms of its action are still only partially understood. There is a lack of studies on its association with different grades of essential hypertension (EH). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between size of EAT depots and the risk of EH taking into account its grade. Materials and Methods: Non‐obese adult patients with various cardiovascular diseases were investigated: 157 of them had essential hypertension and 101 did not. Hypertensive patients were assigned to three groups according to the grade of hypertension. EAT volume and thickness on ventricular free walls (6 locations) and grooves (5 locations) were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and compared between groups. A regression model for the prediction of EH was constructed. Results: In general, thickness (in all locations) and volume of EAT depots was greater among hypertensive patients than in normotensive (NORM) group. Mean EAT thickness in all 11 locations and EAT volume were lower in NORM than in grade 1 hypertension group; similarly, EAT volume was lower in grade 1 than in grade 2 hypertension group. EAT accumulation did not differ between grade 2 and severe hypertension groups. EAT volume, dyslipidaemia status, body mass index, and age were independent predictors for EH in regression model. Conclusions: EAT accumulation is larger among hypertensive than normotensive individuals. Measurement of EAT depots could be beneficial for identification of hypertensive patients and prediction of hypertension severity

Promoting and limiting factors of nutritional habits and dietary supplement use among high performance athletes in Lithuania

Lietuvoje sportininkams trūksta motyvacijos sveikai maitintis, todėl jų mitybos įpročiai neatitinka sveikos mitybos rekomendacijų. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti ir įvertinti Lietuvos didelio meistriškumo sportininkų mitybos įpročius ir maisto papildų vartojimą lemiančius veiksnius. Pasitelkus tiesioginio interviu metodą buvo ištirti 18 ± 3,3 metų amžiaus vidutiniškai per dieną 178,2 ± 63,7 min. besitreniruojantys 247 Lietuvos didelio meistriškumo sportininkai. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad daugiausia sportininkus apie mitybą, maisto papildus informuoja sporto treneriai ir populiarioji literatūra. O gydytojų, per televizijos ir radijo laidas pateikiama informacija yra ribota ir nepakankama, kad skatintų tinkamus sportininkų mitybos ir maisto papildų vartojimo įpročius. 81,4 % sportininkų pagrindinis maisto produktų pasirinkimo kriterijus yra skonis. Neatsižvelgiant į tai, jaunieji sportininkai dažniau sutelkia dėmesį į sveikatai palankų mitybos poveikį, dažniau mitybą derina su konkrečia sportine veikla. Vyresnio amžiaus jėgą ir grei¬tumą ugdantys sportininkai vyrai savo mitybos įpročių nederina su konkrečia sportine veikla, dažniausiai nesirenka sveikatai palankaus maisto. Šio segmento sportininkams jų treneriai informacijos apie maisto papildus suteikia per mažai, jiems nepakanka iš gydytojų gaunamos informacijos. Prioriteto tvarka dėmesys turi būti sutelktas į jėgą ir greitumą ugdančius sportininkus, juos profesionaliai ir pakankamu lygiu informuojant apie tinkamą mitybą ir racionalų maisto papildų vartojimą.In Lithuania, athletes lack motivation for healthy eating, and their dietary habits are not consistent with healthy dietary recommendations. The aim of the study is to determine and evaluate the factors determining the peculiarities of nutrition and supplements use of Lithuanian high performance athletes. Using the method of direct interview, 247 Lithuanian high performance athletes were investigated. The age of the athletes was 18 ± 3,3 years, and the duration of the daily training was 178,2 ± 63,7 min. The results of the study showed that athletes are reported about nutrition and food supplements mostly by sports coaches and popular literature. Meanwhile, the information provided by doctors, on TV and on the radio is limited in number and insufficient to promote proper nutrition and nutritional behaviour of athletes. 81,4% of athletes’ main criterion for choosing food is taste. Regardless of this, younger athletes more often focus on the health benefits of nutrition, more often combine their nutrition with specific sport activities. Adult athletes who develop strength and speed do not adapt their diet to specific sports activities and do not use health-friendly foods. For this segment, their coaches give too little information about food supplements to their athletes; they do not get enough information about nutrition and food supplements from doctors. Priority measures should focus on strength and speed athletes, informing them professionally and at an adequate level about proper nutrition and the rational use of nutritional supplements