Quality of life of patients undergoing hymenoptera venom immunotherapy

Hymenoptera stings are one of the main causes of anaphylaxis in Europe [1] . Clinical observation shows that the most dangerous effects are those that develop immediately after the sting[2] . Most often, allergic symptoms occur within 5 to 20 minutes. There are reactions starting after 2 hours and sometimes even after 72 hours. The group of patients at risk of more severe reactions are atopic patients, patients with skin mastocytosis , the elderly, burdened with additional diseases. The highest mortality rate is observed in people over 50 years of age [3] . Aim : The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare parameters of quality of life, anxiety and anxiety among patients who have undergone immunotherapy for Hymenoptera venoms. Material and Methods : The research was conducted at the turn of January and February 2019. The study involved 100 patients desensitized to hymenoptera venoms in the Department of Allergology and Lung Diseases of the Provincial Specialist Hospital named after of Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński in Lublin. The diagnostic method that was used in the study was the diagnostic survey. The research tool used was the questionnaire: The World Health Organization Quality Of Life (WHOQOL) -BREF (short version of the questionnaire assessing the quality of life) extended by the author's questionnaire. The database was created and statistical analyzes were carried out based on Statistica 9.1 computer software. ( StatSoft, Poland).   Rezults : The vast majority of respondents said that their quality of life is good or very good. As much as 82% gave such an answer. Only seven of the respondents rated their quality of life as bad or very bad. 11% of respondents could not determine the level of quality of their lives. The respondents gave similar satisfaction to their health condition. As many as 74% of respondents declare that they are satisfied or very happy with their health. A quarter of the respondents could not determine whether they were satisfied or not about their health. Conclusion :      In allergy to hymenoptera insects, a significant impact of the disease on the emotional, professional, social and implemented sphere is observed. The previous experience of anaphylaxis symptoms plays a significant role here, but more importantly anxiety associated with their reoccurrence, which is usually the cause of a deterioration in comfort of life, a sense of security risk. That is why proper education conducted simultaneously with patients' immunotherapy is so important. This has a significant impact on the quality of life of patients allergic and immunotherapy to Hymenoptera venoms

Fungi inhabiting the aboveground organs of downy willow (Salix lapponum L.) and swamp willow (Salix myrtilloides L.)

The species of downy willow (Salix lapponum) and swamp willow (Salix myrtilloides) are extremely rare relicts among all members of the genus Salix. In Poland, they occur only in the eastern part of the Karkonosze Mountains, Masurian Lake District, and Polesie Lubelskie area. A huge threat to both species is the drainage of peat bogs and their excessive exploitation as well as diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. The present study aimed identify fungal species colonizing the aboveground organs of plants with disease symptoms and to indicate which species may pose a threat towards S. lapponum and S. myrtilloides growing under natural conditions. This research was conducted in Polesie National Park as a part of a research project by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Plant health assessments were carried out in natural habitats, while aboveground organs with disease symptoms were collected for laboratory mycological analysis. Colletotrichum salicis (teleomorph Glomerella salicis), Coniothyrium concentricum, Cylindrosporium salicinum, Phomopsis spp., Truncatella angustata, and Cytospora chrysosperma (teleomorph Valsa sordida) were the fungal species most frequently isolated from leaves and shoots of both willow species. The above-mentioned fungi are dangerous plant pathogens from the family Salicaceae. There were no obligatory parasites or monophagous pathogens on the aboveground organs of downy or swamp willow. Obligatory parasites may indicate a markedly low population of host plants in Polish conditions

Estimation of the antifungal activity of some preparations against Diaporthe eres under in vitro conditions

Six fungicides from various chemical groups and two natural products, i.e., Biosept Active (grapefruit extract) and Beta-Chikol (chitosan) were tested in vitro against Diaporthe eres isolated from the shoots of fruit trees. The preparations were incorporated in PDA medium to provide final fungicide concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 g cm−3. Biosept Active concentrations of 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.1%, and Beta-Chikol concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 2.5%, respectively. The antifungal activity of the preparations was evaluated based on mycelial growth of D. eres strains after 4 and 8 days of culture and changes in the morphological structures of the fungus. The highest antifungal activity was registered for thiophanate-methyl at all tested concentrations, followed by thiram, which showed the same activity but only at 100 g cm−3. Among the preparations of natural origin, Beta-Chikol was more effective against D. eres than Biosept Active. The effects achieved by the former preparation were comparable with those achieved by some of the most effective fungicides tested against D. eres

A nonspecific synergistic effect of biogenic silver nanoparticles and biosurfactant towards environmental bacteria and fungi

The present study focused on the evaluation of a nonspecific synergistic effect of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in combination with biosurfactants against environmental bacteria and fungi. The AgNPs were synthesized in the culture supernatants of the biosurfactant producer Bacillus subtilis grown in brewery effluent, molasses or Luria-Bertani media. Antibacterial activities were tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while the antifungal activity was tested against phytopathogens. The interactions between biogenic AgNPs and DNA were investigated using a cryo-TEM technique. The presence of biosurfactant significantly increased the stability of biogenic AgNPs and enhanced their antimicrobial activities. The physical properties and antimicrobial activity of biogenic AgNPs were compared with chemically synthesized Ag nanoparticles. Biogenic silver nanoparticles showed a broad spectrum of activity against bacteria and fungi. They were most active against phytopathogenic fungi and Gram-positive bacteria and less active against Gramnegative bacteria. The nonspecific synergistic effect of biogenic AgNPs and biosurfactant on the phytopathogenic fungi was especially observed. In this report, the new roles of biosurfactants as a biogenic AgNPs stabilizer and enhancer of their antimicrobial properties are presented. Our results revealed that the biologically synthesized AgNPs by the biosurfactantproducing bacterium Bacillus subtilis grown on agro-industrial wastes, such as molasses and brewery effluent, could be used as a promising new nanoagent against microbes

Przewlekła choroba nerek - klasyfikacja, epidemiologia i diagnostyka

Choroba cywilizacyjna, za jaką zaczęto uznawać przewlekłą chorobę nerek (PChN), jest znacznie częstsza niż dotychczas sądzono. Szacuje się, że w Polsce na różne stadia tej choroby może cierpieć ponad 4 miliony ludzi. Do wstępnej identyfikacji pacjentów z PChN wystarcza wykonanie prostych badań przesiewowych, takich jak stężenie kreatyniny w surowicy i na tej podstawie oszacowanie stopnia przesączania kłębuszkowego (eGFR), oznaczenie albuminurii, ogólne badanie moczu z osadem oraz USG. Stężenie kreatyniny jest prostym, dostępnym i tanim badaniem, jednak jego wartość dla nawet przybliżonej oceny czynności wydalniczej nerek jest jednak wątpliwa. Znacznie lepiej funkcję nerek odzwierciedla oszacowany za pomocą jednego z wielu wzorów (np. MDRD, Cockcrofta-Gaulta) eGFR. Najprostszymi wskaźnikami uszkodzenia nerek są: albuminuria, białkomocz, krwinkomocz po wykluczeniu jego przyczyn urologicznych, zmiany w badaniach obrazowych, z których najprostsze, najbezpieczniejsze dla chorego, dostępne i najmniej kosztowne jest USG. Pozwalają one rozpoznać PChN w najwcześniejszym, I stadium. Stałej opieki nefrologicznej wymagają pacjenci z PChN ze szczególnymi wskazaniami. Identyfikacja pacjentów z PChN, a wśród nich pacjentów zagrożonych progresją tej choroby do krańcowych stadiów jest podstawą wczesnego wdrożenia szeroko rozumianych działań nefroprotekcyjnych, a tym samym jednym z najważniejszych zadań nefrologii przyszłości

The influence of prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke on neonatal body proportions

The objective of this study was to determine neonatal anthropometric indices such as: birth weight, crown-heel length, head and chest circumference and ponderal index , in relation to the maternal smoker status (active and passive smoking). The study included 147 neonates born in 2003-2004 at the Princess Anna Mazowiecka University Hospital in Warsaw admitted to the Neonatal and Intensive Care Department of Warsaw Medical University. Neonates were assigned to one of three groups: babies of mothers who were active smokers, passive smokers and non-smokers based on a questionnaire concerning exposure to tobacco smoke and on the concentration of cotinine in maternal urine. The babies of mothers who were active smokers were born with lower birth weight (p=0.033), lower crown-heel length (p=0.026), lower head circumference (p=0.002) and lower chest circumference (p=0.021) significantly more often than babies of non-smoker mothers. Babies whose mothers were active smokers had an increased risk of lower head circumference or 3, 9 (1, 4-10, 7, CI 95%), and an increased risk of lower chest circumference OR 4, 0 (1, 5-10, 9, CI 95%). The babies of mothers who were passive smokers also had lower anthropometric indices, but the differences were not statistically significant. No effect on ponderal index was observed among the neonates whose mothers were active and passive smokers. Smoking during pregnancy causes symmetrical restriction of intrauterine growth

HARMFULNESS OF Phomopsis diachenii Sacc. TO HERBS FROM Apiaceae FAMILY AND PREPARATIONS LIMITING THE GROWTH OF THIS FUNGUS

Abstract. Phomopsis diachenii belongs to the fungi increasingly noted on herbal plants from Apiaceae family. Considering the documented fungal pathogenicity for herbs, the possibility of limiting the growth and development of P. diachenii was studied. Two biotechnical preparations i.e. Biosept Active and Beta-chikol and 12 fungicides from different chemical groups as well as one isolate of P. diachenii K 651, obtained from caraway were used for the study. Tests were performed by poisoning the culture media with each of the tested preparations, which were then inoculated with the P. diachenii inoculum. The percentage of inhibition of the growth of four-and eight-day-old fungus colonies on the medium with preparations in comparison to the control colonies was a measure of the toxic activity of the preparations. The effectiveness of Beta-chikol in limiting P. diachenii growth was significantly higher than the efficiency of Biosept Active. All fungicides limited the growth and development of P. diachenii, and the effectiveness of inhibitory activity was correlated with the concentration of the active ingredient in fungicide. The most promising compound in reducing the growth and development of P. diachenii was mancozeb

Ocena stężeń OPG, RANKL i markerów obrotu kostnego w surowicy oraz BMD u pacjentek leczonych z powodu osteoporozy pomenopauzalnej ranelinianem strontu i ibandronianem

  Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate quantitative changes in OPG and RANKL proteins after treatment with strontium ranelate (SR) and ibandronate in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Material and methods: A total of 89 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO), aged 51-85 years, patients of the Outpatient Clinic of Osteoporosis of the Military Teaching Hospital in Lodz, were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to different therapies: ibandronate and (SR). Patients of the control group received only calcium and vitamin D3 supplements. The patients’ visits were repeated after three and six months. Measurements of beta-CTX (C-terminal Telopeptide of type 1 collagen), osteocalcin, RANKL, osteoprotegerin (OPG), alkaline phosphatase concentrations in serum, as well as of total 24-hour calcium and phosphate levels in serum and urine, were carried out in material collected at baseline and after three and six months of therapy. Left hip and lumbar spine densitometry was done twice (at baseline visit and after six months). Results: In all three groups there were no significant differences noted in the concentrations of OPG and RANKL serum protein levels during the study period. Both negative and positive correlations or tendencies of correlations were found between OPG serum concentrations and BMD changes in the SR group. Conclusions: Both ibandronate and SR do not seem to cause any significant changes in OPG and RANKL protein serum levels during the first six months of treatment. OPG may play a role in osteoclast activity suppression in the course of treatment with ibandronate in patients with PO. OPG may play an important role in the mechanism of SR therapy and may be viewed as a potentially valuable parameter for monitoring and predicting the course of treatment with SR in PO. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (2): 174–184)    Wstęp: Celem badania była ocena ilościowych zmian stężeń białek OPG i RANKL po leczeniu ranelinianem strontu (RS) i ibandronianem u pacjentek z osteoporozą pomenopauzalną. Materiał i metody: Do badania zakwalifikowano 89 kobiet z osteoporozą pomenopauzalną (OP), w wieku 51–85, będących pacjentkami Poradni Leczenia Osteoporozy Uniwersyteckiego Szpitala Klinicznego im. WAM w Łodzi. Pacjentki losowo przydzielono do dwóch grup terapeutycznych, otrzymujących RS i ibandronian. Pacjentki z grupy kontrolnej otrzymywały tylko wapń i witaminę D. Chore odbywały wizyty w ośrodku w chwili rozpoczęcia badania, po 3 i 6 miesiącach, w trakcie których oznaczano stężenia: b-CTX (C-terminalny telopeptyd kolagenu typu I), osteokalcyny, osteoprotegeryny, RANKL, fosfatazy alkalicznej w surowicy, a ponadto wapnia oraz fosforanów zarówno w surowicy, jak i w moczu całodobowym. Badanie densytometryczne biodra i odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa przeprowadzano przed włączeniem terapii oraz po 6 miesiącach leczenia. Wyniki: W żadnej z grup nie stwierdzono istotnych statystycznie zmian stężeń OPG i RANKL w surowicy. Jednakże w grupie leczonej SR, zaobserwowano liczne dodatnie i ujemne korelacje oraz trendy statystyczne, pomiędzy stężeniami OPG a zmianami BMD. Wnioski: Zarówno ibandronian, jak i SR wydają się nie powodować istotnych zmian stężeń OPG i RANKL w surowicy, w trakcie pierwszych 6 miesięcy terapii. W hamowaniu aktywności osteoklastów OPG może odgrywać istotną rolę, w trakcie terapii ibandronianem u pacjentek z OP. Może też pełnić ważną funkcję w mechanizmie działania RS i w związku z tym, może być rozpatrywana jako wartościowy parameter w monitorowaniu i przewidywaniu efektów leczenia RS w OP. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (2): 174–184)

The impact of intrauterine tobacco exposure on the cerebral mass of the neonate based on the measurement of head circumference

The objective of the study was to assess cerebral mass, based on head circumfer- ence measurements in neonates exposed to tobacco smoke in utero, and to deter- mine the relative proportions of the cerebral and body mass. The study included 147 neonates born in the period 2003–2004 at the Princess Anna Mazowiecka University Hospita land admitted to the Neonatal and Intensive Care Department of the Medical University in Warsaw. Subjects were divided into three groups on the basis of maternal status as active, passive, or nonsmokers determined by materna lurinary cotinine concentration and a questionnaire. Neonates whose mothers were active smokers throughout the whole period of pregnancy had a lower head circumference and in consequence a lower cerebral mass significantly more frequently when compared with those whose mothers were nonsmokers, P=0.002. (Median difference in cerebral mass was 48.27 g.) The risk of lower cerebral mass was 3.9 (1.4–10.8, CI 95%) in the group of neonates whose mothers actively smoked cigarettes during pregnancy. A negative correlation was seen between cerebral mass and maternal urinary cotinine concentration (correlation coefficient r=−23, P=0.006). The ratio of the cerebral to body mass was similar for neonates in all three groups. Active smoking during pregnancy had a negative effect on the cerebral mass of theneonate, however no such effect was observed in neonates whose mothers were passive smokers. The deficiency in cerebral mass increased with greater smoking intensity. Active smoking by the mother during pregnancy inhibits the growth of the brain as well as that of the body mass of the neonate