The impact of Pandemic COVID-19 on cases of Borreliosis infection in 2020

Borreliosis (Lyme borreliosis; Lyme disease) is a zoonotic disease caused by spirochetes from the genus Borrelia. In humans, the accidental host of ticks, the infection is transmitted by the bite of the tick - the spirochetes are present in the salivary glands of the tick. Any of the three forms of tick: larva, nymph and adult can be responsible for infection. The most common threats to humans are Borrelia burgdorferii sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii occurring mainly in Europe. Lyme disease is a complex, multi-stage disease and progresses in 3 stages. The targeted treatment of Lyme disease is based on the administration of antibiotics. The introduction of antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme borreliosis offers a good chance of a complete cure. Lyme disease is a major epidemiological problem in the world. In Europe, the average number of cases per year remains at 65,400. In Poland, the number of infections annually reaches several tens of thousands. According to the National Institute of Hygiene of Poland, which keeps statistics of epidemiological reports, a total of 83,495 people fell sick with Lyme disease in Poland between 2016 and 2019. Whereas in 2020, the number of cases of Lyme disease decreased to 12933. The reason for this is undoubtedly the COVID-19 pandemic, which has dominated health care and focused all the attention of medical workers. This review shows that Lyme borreliosis is a dangerous disease with a high risk of complications. A quick diagnosis is crucial in the therapeutic process. An algorithm should be developed in order to distinguish other diseases from Lyme disease and thus enable an early reaction and treatment

The relevance of probiotics in therapy

Probiotics are live microorganisms that have a positive effect on human health, in particular on the intestinal microbiota. It turned out that they not only perform an important role in the intestinal microbiota, but also affect the functioning of the immune system, reduce the incidence of allergies or significantly reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Thanks to the proven benefits of probiotics, scientists are now looking into their use in the treatment of many diseases. The examples are Helicobacter pylori infection, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Respiratory Tract Infection, where the significant benefits of probiotics have been proved. Until recently it was thought that they were only useful in gastrointestinal diseases, but the use of probiotics in Respiratory Tract Infection shows that probiotics can also be used to treat other diseases. Further research into the impact of probiotics on therapy is highly desirable in order to match the effects of specific strains to specific diseases

The role of nutrigenetics in diet personalisation

Nutrigenetics is the field that studies genetic differences in relation to food components. It also examines the risk of food-dependent diseases. The search for genes responsible for disease occurrence is very difficult because the human genome has about 25,000 genes. Association studies are used to identify the relevant genes, and then the presence of polymorphisms is compared with a group of healthy people (control group). Thanks to these tests, it is possible to take an individual approach to the patient and arrange a personalized diet, which results in obtaining the best results. This article focuses on selected diseases including lactase deficiency, celiac disease, phenylketonuria and folate deficiency. In each of these diseases thanks to molecular research, it is possible to detect genetic defects, and then to apply a personalized diet which excludes or provides certain food products. Further development of nutrigenetics in the future will allow even better selection of diets in other disease entities

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Młodzieńcze idiopatyczne zapalenie stawów (JIA) jest najczęstszą przewlekłą zapalną chorobą reumatyczną wieku dziecięcego. Jest to niejednorodna grupa chorób charakteryzująca się zapaleniem stawów, cechami pozastawowymi, w tym zapaleniem błony naczyniowej oka oraz, w niektórych przypadkach, markerami laboratoryjnymi. Przebieg choroby, postępowanie terapeutyczne i rokowanie różnią się w zależności od pierwotnej kategorii MIZS. Ostatnie postępy w leczeniu, zwłaszcza w stosowaniu środków biologicznych, znacznie zmniejszyły częstość występowania MIZS. Obecne podejścia do leczenia kładą nacisk na agresywne wczesne leczenie, aby opóźnić postęp choroby i poprawić wyniki. Jednak choroba może pozostać aktywna aż do wieku dorosłego i nadal potrzebne jest ciągłe uważne monitorowanie

Congenital Abnormalities of the Temporomandibular Joint - single conditions

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ), due to its morphological structure, is a bicondylar joint, coupled in every movement. Intensive development of TMJ occurs in the early fetal period. Diseases of the temporomandibular joints differ in etiology and symptoms. The dysfunction of temporomandibular joint may lead to many problems connected with disorders of masseter muscles and bones building this joint and tissues around it. The aim of these studies is to describe several congenital abnormalities of the temporomandibular joint. Congenital deformities of the temporomandibular joint complex can present as a growth of mandible disturbances. They can occur as single condition characterized by hyperplasia or hypoplasia of joint structures. In extreme cases it can occure as agenesis, which is lack of formation. Tempotomandibular joint may be also affected by fibrous dysplasia, form of hyperplasia. They can also occur as a complex symptom with congenital mandible deformity, what can cause the problems with correct diagnosis. Temporomandibular joint disorders constitute a significant percentage of the viscerocranium diseases. All disorders occurring within these structures are usually associated with severe pain and significant discomfort. In dental practice, it is important to know in detail the symptoms associated with diseases of temporomandibular joint and also differentiate single conditions and complex symptoms.  

Probiotics, could be functional foods?

Research on functional food (FF) began in the 1980s in Japan, although the term appeared in the journal Nature in 1993. Functional foods can be natural or FF are created via the addition or removal of certain ingredients in technological processes. These treatments are aimed at obtaining food products that have health-promoting effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The best representative example of functional food is probiotic food. According to World Health Organization (WHO) probiotics are live micro-organisms that, in adequate amounts, provide health benefits to the host. This has the effect of inhibiting the pathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli and E. coli translocation in the gastrointestinal tract.. In addition, it can also influence the repair of the damaged intestinal barrier. Probiotics can also improve the host immune system via strong adherence and colonisation of the gut. This results in the secretion of cytokines and chemokines, which are involved in immune processes. More than that, probiotics have the ability to produce peptides directed against microorganisms. These include lantibiotics, bacteriolysins and peptide bacteriocins. The review presented shows that probiotics as functional foods have an important role in human health. Their intake has many benefits and their appropriate use can significantly improve the comfort of a person's life

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), is the disease still dangerous?

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV)  belongs to the family Flaviviridae. Flaviviruses are 50 nm viruses having a membrane envelope with an RNA genome. The vector of TBEV is the common tick (Ixodes ricinus) prevalent mainly in Europe. Tick-borne encephalitis is endemic in 27 countries in Europe. According to the National Institute of Hygiene, there are several hundred cases per year in Poland. Diagnosis of TBEV may be based on serological tests, molecular tests, cerebrospinal fluid examination. Prevention of tick-borne encephalitis is based on several aspects and the most important are the non-compulsory vaccinations. TBEV is a disease characterised by the risk of many complications, which can be irreversible. Fortunately, thanks to developments in vaccinology, vaccinations are available to prevent infection or reduce the severity of the disease

Implementation of experimental cellular (cellular-genetic) therapies on the example of eye diseases

The development of technology and a modern research approach in the 21st century has enabled access to new therapies in many fields of medicine and nanotechnology. Work on the use of cellular therapies is carried out in leading centers around the world. According to the "clinicaltraial.gov" service, it is estimated that there are about 5.5 thousand clinical trials using stem cells. The classification of stem cells is based on their potential to differentiate into other cells, tissues, organs or the whole organism. In cell therapy 3 groups of stem cells are used: Pluripotent Stem Cells (PSC), multipotent and unipotent, which have two common features: the ability to self-revalue, that is, to divide and to differentiate in many directions. To date, there are no objective, randomized clinical trials that would clearly determine the efficacy and safety of the cell therapy used in ophthalmic diseases. Hope is given by gene therapies such as the recently approved Luxturna™ gene therapy used in hereditary retinal degeneration caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. Research is currently underway on experimental cell therapies to treat the following diseases of the optic system: glaucoma, retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), optic nerve atrophy, retinal pigmentation (RP) and Stargardt's disease. Stem cell-based medical therapies are a promising and rapidly developing method of innovative treatment, especially for conditions that were previously considered incurable. The use of experimental cellular gene therapies in diseases of the visual organ gives hope to both patients and scientists, but the age of regenerative medicine has yet to come

Higher perfusion pressure and pump flow during cardiopulmonary bypass are beneficial for kidney function–a single-centre prospective study

Background: Kidneys play an essential role in the circulatory system, regulating blood pressure and intravascular volume. They are also set on maintaining an adequate filtration pressure in the glomerulus. During the CPB, a decrease in systemic blood pressure and hemoglobin concentration may lead to renal ischemia and subsequent acute kidney injury.Methods: One hundred nine adult patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. The intervention in this study was increasing the flow of the CPB pump to reach the target MAP of > 90 mmHg during the procedure. The control group had a standard pump flow of 2.4 L/min/m2.Results: Standard pump flow of 2.4 L/min/m2 resulted in mean MAP < 90 mmHg during the CPB in most patients in the control group. Maintaining a higher MAP during CPB in this study population did not affect CSA-AKI incidence. However, it increased the intraoperative and postoperative diuresis and decreased renin release associated with CPB. Higher MAP during the CPB did not increase the incidence of cerebrovascular complications after the operation; patients in the highest MAP group had the lowest incidence of postoperative delirium, but the result did not obtain statistical significance.Conclusion: Maintaining MAP > 90 mmHg during the CPB positively impacts intraoperative and postoperative kidney function. It significantly reduces renal hypoperfusion during the procedure compared to MAP < 70 mmHg. MAP > 90 mmHg is safe for the central nervous system, and preliminary results suggest that it may have a beneficial impact on the incidence of postoperative delirium

Neonatal intestinal microbiota factors

Intestinal microbiota is a key element in maintaining health. Recently, the relationship between the microbiome and specific disease entities has been emphasized. A relationship between the composition of commensal flora and obesity, allergies, cancer and autism is suggested. Studies are available on factors that affect the formation of bacterial microflora in newborns. The pregnant microflora may affect the unborn baby. The study found the presence of bacteria in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, placenta and fetal membranes. The microbiome of newborns born by caesarean section remove the one found on the mother's skin and function and in the operating room while the newborn born by nature pathways is close to the microflora of the mother's vagina. There was also a difference in the microbiome of newborns born in the hospital and at home. Breastfeeding also affects the intestinal microflora. Mother's milk and infant faeces show the same bacterial strains.Intestinal dysbiosis may be the basis for a number of disease entities. It is necessary to know the prenatal and postnatal properties influencing the gastrointestinal colonization of the newborn. This knowledge will help develop guidelines favorable for normal colonization with microorganism of the neonatal intestines.</p