Knowledge and Practice of Antibiotic Management and Prudent Prescribing among Polish Medical Doctors

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent public health issue. The role of medical doctors in proper antibiotic use is crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of Polish doctors of antimicrobial prescribing and antibiotic resistance. The study group consisted of 504 medical doctors with an average age 32.8 ± 5.9 years, mostly women (65%). The paper questionnaire was developed on the basis of a survey tool developed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Public Health England (PHE). According to our study, physicians were aware that: taking antibiotics has side effects, antibiotics cannot be used against viruses, unnecessary use of antibiotics leads to AMR and that healthy people can carry resistant bacteria (each item ≥98% correct responses). Only 47% of respondents knew that the use of antibiotics as growth stimulants in livestock is illegal in the EU. Of the respondents, 98.61% saw the connection between prescribing antibiotics and AMR. However, 65.28% of the respondents reported a lack of appropriate materials on AMR counseling. Nearly 92.5% of participants “never” or “rarely” gave out resources on prudent antibiotic use. Physicians in Poland underestimate the role of hand hygiene in stimulating antibiotic resistance (ABR) (74.4%), while demonstrating satisfying knowledge about antimicrobial use, the clinical application of antimicrobial guidelines and prevention of ABR. However, educational interventions are needed to help lead challenging communication with assertive patients. Appropriate patient resources would be helpful in reaching this goal

Osteopontin Serum Concentration and Metabolic Syndrome in Male Psoriatic Patients

Psoriasis (Ps) is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease that is widely associated with the clinical features of metabolic syndrome (MetS), including hypertension, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. Osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional protein involved in the modulation of inflammatory processes, may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and MetS. Therefore, the aim of the study was the assessment of the correlation between OPN concentration in the peripheral blood and the presence of MetS as well as its particular components in the Ps patients. The study comprised 107 male Ps patients (50 patients with MetS and 57 without MetS) and 38 healthy volunteers (HVs). The concentration of OPN in serum was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile components: total cholesterol (total CHOL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CHOL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-CHOL), triglycerides (TG) were examined. Ps patients with MetS had significantly higher obesity, systolic blood pressure, TG, CHOL/HDL, LDL/HDL and TG/HDL ratios than Ps patients without MetS. OPN serum concentration was significantly higher in the Ps patients than in the HVs (p = 0.022) but not significantly different between the Ps patients with and without MetS (p = 0.275). OPN serum concentration in Ps patients correlated negatively with total CHOL (p = 0.004) and TG (p = 0.009). OPN is increased in Ps patients and may serve as a biomarker of some lipid abnormalities in them

The Genetic Variants of NOTCH3 (6746T>C) and PSMA6 (-8C>G) as Possible Risk Factors of Psoriasis Development

Advances in genotypic technologies enable identification of possible associations between genetic variants of certain genes and increased risk of developing plaque psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. The aim of the study was to analyze the NOTCH3 (6746T>C) (rs1044009) and PSMA6 (-8C>G) (rs1048990) polymorphisms and their role in genetic susceptibility to psoriasis. The study included 158 psoriatic patients and 100 healthy controls. The frequencies of the NOTCH3 genotypes differed between the psoriatic patients and healthy controls (p = 0.050). No differences were found in the distribution of PSMA6 genotypes and alleles between the psoriatic patients and healthy controls. The studied psoriatic patients presented a higher frequency of the CC genotype of PSMA6 compared to the healthy controls (8.8% vs. 2%, respectively). Psoriatic arthritis was more frequent among patients with the CC genotype of PSMA6 (p = 0.059). CC homozygosity of NOTCH3 was more commonly observed in the studied psoriatic patients than in the healthy controls (OR = 4.76, p= 0.032). The obtained data suggest that genetic variants of NOTCH3 (6746T>C) and PSMA6 (-8C>G) genes may play significant roles in psoriatic patients. Further studies are necessary to unequivocally determine their role as genetic risk factors of psoriasis development