Socio-economic status and duration of TB symptoms in males treated at the Mazovian Treatment Centre of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Otwock

Introduction: The incidence of tuberculosis depends on many factors, not only on health issues but also on socioeconomic factors. The aim of this study was to assess the duration of symptoms and the extent of radiological changes in men with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis in relation to their socioeconomic status. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study based on the analysis of 300 hospital records of patients hospitalised in 2004–2006 in the male ward of the Mazovian Treatment Centre of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Otwock. In all patients, the diagnosis of tuberculosis was bacteriologically confirmed. We evaluated the duration of symptoms prior to hospitalisation, the extent of radiological changes and socioeconomic status. We also took into account the place of residence, professional activity, age and marital status. Results: Among patients with TB hospitalised in the Mazovia Region, 74% were professionally inactive persons and 57% were unemployed. Patients population in cities and villages were similar, but as much as 10% of the patients hospitalised who were actively spreading bacilli in Mazovia Region were homeless. In the study group, 60% of the men were unmarried. In 63% of the patients symptoms of tuberculosis were present for more than two months. Chronic symptoms were reported more often in the unemployed (60%) and in single patients. As much as 81% of the patients at the initiation of treatment, had extensive radiological changes in 3 or more lung fields. Quite often sweeping pulmonary changes were observed in the homeless, unemployed and pensioners. Sputum smear-positive tuberculosis, was demonstrated in 87% of the examined patients. Conclusions: The incidence of tuberculosis observed in the Mazovia Region was especially observed in the unemployed, disabled and pensioners. Among these patients, many were homeless. The majority of patients in Mazovia Region at the start of treatment already had very extensive radiological changes and the symptoms were present with them for several weeks.Wstęp: Zapadalność na gruźlicę zależy od wielu czynników, nie tylko zdrowotnych, lecz również społeczno-ekonomicznych. Celem niniejszej pracy była ocena czasu trwania objawów choroby oraz rozległości zmian radiologicznych u mężczyzn chorych na potwierdzoną bakteriologicznie gruźlicę płuc, w powiązaniu z ich statusem społeczno-ekonomicznym. Materiał i metody: Praca miała charakter retrospektywny i była oparta na analizie dokumentacji 300 chorych hospitalizowanych w latach 2004–2006 na oddziale męskim Mazowieckiego Centrum Leczenia Chorób Płuc i Gruźlicy w Otwocku. U wszystkich badanych rozpoznanie gruźlicy potwierdzono bakteriologicznie. Oceniano czas trwania objawów przed hospitalizacją, rozległość zmian radiologicznych oraz status społeczno-ekonomiczny z uwzględnieniem miejsca zamieszkania, aktywności zawodowej, wieku i stanu cywilnego. Wyniki: Spośród prątkujących chorych hospitalizowanych na Mazowszu 74% stanowiły osoby nieaktywne zawodowo, w tym aż 57% było bezrobotnych. Liczba mieszkańców miast i wsi była zbliżona, ale aż 10% prątkujących chorych hospitalizowanych na Mazowszu to osoby bezdomne. W badanej grupie 60% mężczyzn było nieżonatych. U 63% prątkujących chorych objawy gruźlicy występowały dłużej niż 2 miesiące. Częściej zgłaszały je osoby bezrobotne (60%) i stanu wolnego (61%). Aż u 81% chorych w chwili rozpoczęcia leczenia stwierdzono rozległe zmiany radiologiczne obejmujące 3 i więcej pól płucnych. Szczególnie często obserwowano je u bezdomnych, bezrobotnych oraz u emerytów i rencistów. U 87% badanych stwierdzono prątki gruźlicy w preparacie bezpośrednim. Wnioski: Gruźlica na Mazowszu występuje szczególnie często u osób bezrobotnych oraz u emerytów i rencistów. Wśród badanych chorych stosunkowo dużo było osób bezdomnych. Zdecydowana większość prątkujących chorych na Mazowszu w chwili rozpoczęcia leczenia ma już bardzo rozległe zmiany radiologiczne, a objawy występują u nich od wielu tygodni

Socio-economic status and the duration of pulmonary tuberculosis symptoms in women treated at the Mazovian Treatment Centre of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Otwock

Wstęp: Chorobowość na gruźlicę zależy od czynników społeczno-ekonomicznych, takich jak migracje ludności, bezdomność, niedożywienie, bezrobocie, złe warunki bytowe, starzenie się społeczeństw. Celem pracy była ocena występowania gruźlicy u kobiet leczonych w Mazowieckim Centrum Leczenia Chorób Płuc i Gruźlicy w Otwocku (MCLChPiG) z określeniem statusu demograficznego, zawodowego i społecznego oraz z oceną czasu trwania choroby i rozległości zmian radiologicznych.Materiał i metody: Praca miała charakter retrospektywny. Oceniono dokumentację medyczną 100 kobiet w wieku 20–92 lat, hospitalizowanych w MCLChPiG w latach 2005–2006 z powodu potwierdzonej bakteriologicznie gruźlicy płuc.Wyniki: Większość kobiet chorych na gruźlicę mieszkała w miastach (65%), podczas gdy ze wsi pochodziło 32%, a 3% stanowiły osoby bezdomne. Wśród badanych kobiet 1/3 nie przekroczyła 40. rż., a 1/3 ukończyła 60. rż. Tylko 29% chorych kobiet było czynnych zawodowo, a 25% stanowiły kobiety bezrobotne. W badanej grupie 60% kobiet było niezamężnych. Opiekę nad dziećmi sprawowało jedynie 35% chorych na gruźlicę kobiet, a 7% porzuciło swoje dzieci. Czas trwania objawów klinicznych do chwili rozpoznania choroby wahał się od zera, gdy zmiany radiologiczne wykryto przypadkowo u osób bezobjawowych, aż do dwóch lat. U ponad 1/3 chorych kobiet objawy gruźlicy trwały ponad pół roku. Niewielkie zmiany radiologiczne obejmujące 1–2 pola płucne obserwowano u 40% chorych, natomiast u 26% stwierdzono rozległe zmiany obejmujące 5–6 pól płucnych.Wnioski: Większość prątkujących kobiet na Mazowszu to osoby samotne, niepracujące zawodowo mieszkanki dużych miast, które ukończyły 40. rż. Objawy kliniczne występowały u 30% z nich ponad pół roku przed ustaleniem rozpoznania, a u 40% zmiany radiologiczne były bardzo rozległe obejmujące 4–6 pól płucnych.Introduction: The prevalence of tuberculosis depends on various factors such as migration, homelessness, malnutrition, unemployment, bad life conditions and the aging of a society. The aim of this study was to evaluate tuberculosis in females treated at the Mazovian Treatment Centre of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (Mazowieckie Centrum Leczenia Chorób Płuc i Gruźlicy) in Otwock, regarding the context of demographic, social and professional status of female patients. The duration of the illness and the extent of radiographic changes were also taken into consideration.Material and methods: The study was carried out retrospectively. The medical documentation that was evaluated concerned 100 women, aged between 20 and 92, hospitalized at the Mazovian Treatment Centre of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Otwock in the years 2005 and 2006 due to bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis.Results: Most women with tuberculosis lived in cities (65%), 32% of the evaluated patients lived in villages and 3% were homeless. 1/3 of females were under 40 years of age, and 1/3 were over 60 years of age. Only 29% of the women were professionally active and 25% were unemployed. 60% of women were not married. 35% of women with tuberculosis were bringing up children and 7% had abandoned their offspring. More than 1/3 of women had had tuberculosis symptoms for more than half a year before tuberculosis was diagnosed. 40% of women with tuberculosis had small radiological changes (1 to 2 lung fields); however, 26% of them had extensive changes covering 4 to 6 lung fields.Conclusions: The majority of women with tuberculosis in the Mazovian district are single, over 40 years old, unemployed inhabitants of cities. 30% of women in the study group had had symptoms for more than 6 months before tuberculosis was diagnosed. 40% of women with tuberculosis had very extensive radiological changes covering 4 to 6 lung fields

Immigrants treated for tuberculosis in Mazovian Center for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Otwock

Wstęp: Migracje ludności przyczyniają się do rozprzestrzeniania gruźlicy, szczególnie wielolekoopornej. W krajach Europy Zachodniej napływ imigrantów powoduje pogorszenie sytuacji epidemiologicznej. W niektórych krajach większość nowych zachorowań na gruźlicę stwierdza się wśród ludności napływowej. W Polsce problem ten nie był raportowany przed 2005 rokiem. Celem pracy była ocena występowania gruźlicy u obcokrajowców leczonych w Mazowieckim Centrum Leczenia Chorób Płuc i Gruźlicy w Otwocku. Materiał i metody: Praca ma charakter retrospektywny. Spośród chorych na gruźlicę leczonych w latach 2002-2007 w Mazowieckim Centrum Leczenia Chorób Płuc i Gruźlicy w Otwocku wybrano wszystkich obcokrajowców. Do badania zakwalifikowano 125 osób, u których oceniono podstawowe dane demograficzne, status bakteriologiczny i obraz radiologiczny. Wyniki: Obcokrajowcy stanowili zaledwie 0,5-1,7% wszystkich chorych leczonych w tych latach na gruźlicę w Mazowieckim Centrum Leczenia Chorób Płuc i Gruźlicy. Wśród 24 narodowości najliczniejszą grupę stanowili Czeczeni (24%), Wietnamczycy (21%) i Ukraińcy (12%). Najczęściej chorowali mężczyźni (77%) w młodym wieku (średni wiek - 34 lata). Dzieci stanowiły 12% badanych. Dominowały przypadki gruźlicy płuc, a pozapłucne lokalizacje stwierdzono u 13,6%. Potwierdzenie bakteriologiczne uzyskano u 53% chorych, ale aż 22,7% tych chorych stanowiły przypadki gruźlicy opornej na leki, a 13,6% wielolekoopornej. Wnioski: Mimo że obcokrajowcy stanowią niewielki odsetek chorych leczonych na gruźlicę na Mazowszu, to jednak ich liczba systematycznie wzrasta. Niepokojący jest wśród nich wysoki odsetek przypadków gruźlicy wielolekoopornej. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 6: 399-406Introduction: Migration of population contributes to the transmission of tuberculosis (TB), particularly multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. In the countries of Western Europe, the immigrants’ inflow contributes to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation. Majority of newly detected TB cases in some countries were affirmed among immigrant and foreign born population. In Poland, this problem has not been investigated up to 2005. The aim of the study was the assessment of the occurrence of tuberculosis in foreigners treated in the Mazovian Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis in Otwock. Material and methods: This work had a retrospective character. The number of cases of tuberculosis in foreigners admitted between 2002 and 2007 was calculated from the data base of the Mazovian Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis; 125 patients, whose basic demographic data, bacteriological status and the radiological changes suggested TB, were included in the study. Results: The foreigners made up to 0.5-1.7% all tuberculosis cases treated in Mazovian Centre for Treatment of Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis. Among confirmed cases, twenty four nationalities were seen. Nationals of the Russian Federation (coming from the Republic of Chechnya) formed the biggest group (24%), followed by the Vietnamese (21%) and the Ukrainians (12%). Most of all cases were young men (77%; average age - 34 years). Children made up to 12% of all cases. Tuberculosis of lungs was predominating, and there were culture confirmed extrapulmonary locations in 13.6% of cases. Bacteriological confirmation was achieved in 53% of cases, but up to 22.7% cases were resistant to one of the antituberculosis medicines and 13.6% was multidrug-resistant. Conclusions: Despite the fact, that foreigners made up a small proportion among all the patient treated for tuberculosis in Mazovia, their number systematically increases. High proportion of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis reported in foreign-born cases is a concern. Pneumonol. Alergol. Pol. 2010; 78, 6: 399-40

Functional traits of acquisitive invasive woody species differ from conservative invasive and native species

One of the most important sources of invasiveness is species’ functional traits and their variability. However there are still few studies on invasive tree species traits conducted along resource gradients that allow for a comparison of acquisitive and conservative strategies. We aimed to assess the differences in trait variation among native alien conservative and alien acquisitive tree species along resource availability gradients (soil fertility and light availability) and to assess the traits variability of the species studied along resources availability gradients. Our study compared invasive tree species in Europe (Prunus serotina Ehrh. Quercus rubra L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L.) with their native competitors (Acer pseudoplatanus L. A. platanoides L. Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. and Fagus sylvatica L.). The study was conducted on 1329 seedlings and saplings collected in a system of 372 study plots in W Poland. For each individual we assessed leaf stem and root mass ratios total biomass leaf area ratio specific leaf area and projected leaf area. Two invasive species (P. serotina and R. pseudoacacia) represented a more acquisitive strategy than native species – along litter pH and light availability gradients these species had higher leaf mass fraction specific leaf area and leaf area ratio. In contrast Q. rubra had the highest total biomass and root mass fraction. Alien species usually had higher coefficients of variation of studied traits. This suggests that relatively high projected leaf area as a way of filling space and outcompeting native species may be reached in two ways – biomass allocation to leaves and control of leaf morphology or by overall growth rate. High variability of invasive species traits also suggests randomness in seedling survival which similarly to the neutral theory of invasion highlights the necessity of including randomness in modelling biological invasions

The c.1460C>T Polymorphism of MAO-A Is Associated with the Risk of Depression in Postmenopausal Women

Objective. The aim of the study was an evaluation of possible relationships between polymorphisms of serotoninergic system genes and the risk of depression in postmenopausal women. Methods. We studied 332 women admitted to our department because of climacteric symptoms. The study group included 113 women with a diagnosis of depressive disorder according to the Hamilton rating scale for depression; the controls consisted of 219 women without depression. Serum 17β-estradiol concentrations were evaluated using radioimmunoassay, while polymorphisms in serotoninergic system genes: serotonin receptors 2A (HTR2A), 1B (HTR1B), and 2C (HTR2C); tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) and 2 (TPH2), and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) were evaluated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction. Results. We found that the 1460T allele of MAO-A c.1460C>T (SNP 1137070) appeared with a significantly higher frequency in depressed female patients than in the control group (P = 0.011) and the combined c.1460CT + TT genotypes were associated with a higher risk of depression (P = 0.0198). Patients with the 1460TT genotype had a significantly higher 17β-estradiol concentration than patients with the 1460CT genotype (P = 0.0065) and 1460CC genotype (P = 0.0018). Conclusions. We concluded that depression in postmenopausal women is closely related to the genetic contribution of MAO-A

Light and propagule pressure affect invasion intensity of Prunus serotina in a 14-tree species forest common garden experiment

Experiments testing multiple factors that affect the rate of invasions in forests are scarce. We aimed to assess how the biomass of invasive Prunus serotina changed over eight years and how this change was affected by light availability, tree stand growth, and propagule pressure. The study was conducted in Siemianice Experimental Forest (W Poland), a common garden forest experiment with 14 tree species. We investigated aboveground biomass and density of P. serotina within 53 experimental plots with initial measurements in 2005 and repeated in 2013. We also measured light availability and distance from seed sources. We used generalized additive models to assess the impact of particular predictors on P. serotina biomass in 2013 and its relative change over eight years. The relative biomass increments of P. serotina ranged from 0 to 22,000-fold. The success of P. serotina, expressed as aboveground biomass and biomass increment, varied among different tree species stands, but was greater under conifers. Total biomass of P. serotina depended on light and propagule availability while biomass increment depended on the change in tree stand biomass, a metric corresponding to tree stand maturation. Our study quantified the range of invasion intensity, expressed as biomass increment, in a forest common garden experiment with 14 tree species. Canopy cover was the most important variable to reduce susceptibility to invasion by P. serotina. Even a modest decrease of overstory biomass, e.g. caused by dieback of coniferous species, may be risky in areas with high propagule pressure from invasive tree species. Thus, P. serotina control may include maintaining high canopy closure and supporting natural regeneration of tree species with high leaf area index, which shade the understory

Native plant community characteristics explain alien species success in post-industrial vegetation

Biological invasions are one of the major challenges to the restoration of post-mining sites. Most post-mining sites are under technical reclamation with only a few left to spontaneous vegetation processes. Therefore, we know little about alien plant species on spontaneously-vegetated post-coal mine heaps and how native community characteristics predict their establishment. To fill the knowledge gap, we aimed to determine the drivers of alien species colonisation on post-coal mine heaps. Specifically, we asked: (i) Which alien species are the most successful on post-coal mine heaps and why? (ii) What are the drivers of alien species richness and cover, and how are they affected by the native community? (iii) What does it mean for predicting threats from alien species and management? We recorded vascular plant species and their abundance across 400 plots on post-coal mine heaps in Upper Silesia, Poland. We calculated plant community taxonomic and functional characteristics and, using mixed-effects models, we estimated predictors of alien species richness and cover. We found 65 alien species on post-coal mine heaps, comprising 20.4% of all recorded species, including 36 neophytes and 29 archaeophytes. Amongst them – Erigeron canadensis, Solidago gigantea, Solidago canadensis, Erigeron annuus and Impatiens parviflora – were the most frequent on the studied heaps. We showed that native functional richness significantly predicts alien species richness and cover. Similarly, native community-weighted mean (CWM) seed mass and plant height predict alien species cover. However, CWM of specific leaf area for native species marginally predicts alien species richness. We showed that alien species cover decreases with native species cover. Our findings revealed the ecological significance of niche-filling and the biotic acceptance hypotheses on post-coal mine heaps. We demonstrated how exploring native community characteristics can help in understanding the invasibility and management of post-industrial vegetation

Involvement of toll-like receptor 9 polymorphism in cervical cancer development

The role played by the polymorphism located in Toll-like Receptor 9 (TLR9) as a risk factor of cervical cancer remains elusive. Therefore, we studied the association of the TLR9 −1486 T/C (rs187084) and C2848T (rs352140) polymorphisms with cervical cancer. The TLR9 −1486 T/C and C2848T polymorphism was genotyped in 426 patients and 460 unrelated healthy females from the Polish population. Logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, tobacco smoking, and menopausal status showed that both the TLR9 −1486 T/C and C2848T polymorphisms could be a genetic risk factor for cervical cancer. For the TLR9 −1486 T/C polymorphism, the adjusted OR for patients with the C/T genotype versus T/T genotype was 1.371 (95 % CI 1.021–1.842, p = 0.0361), the adjusted OR for the C/C genotype vs the T/T genotype was 1.300 (95 % CI 1.016–1.507, p = 0.0096), and the adjusted OR for the C/T or C/C genotype vs the T/T genotype was 1.448 (95 % CI 1.099–1.908, p = 0.0083). For the C2848T polymorphism, the adjusted OR for patients with the C/T genotype vs C/C genotype was 1.443 (95 % CI 1.019–2.043, p = 0.0380), the adjusted OR for the T/T genotype vs the C/C genotype was 1.237 (95 % CI 1.016–1.507, p = 0.0328), and the adjusted OR for the T/C or T/T genotype vs the C/C genotype was 1.345 (95 % CI 0.976–1.855, p = 0.0700). Our studies suggest that the TLR9 −1486 T/C and C2848T polymorphisms may be a genetic risk factor for cervical cancer