19 Radioterapia ziarnicy złośliwej u dzieci w materiale I Zakładu Teleradioterapii Centrum

W latach 1986–1998 w I Zakładzie Radioterapii Centrum Onkologii w Warszawie leczono 97 dzieci z rozpoznaniem ziarnicy złośliwej, w wieku od 2 do 18 lat. Ponad połowa pacjentów (58%) była powyżej 10 roku życia. Obserwowano znaczną przewagę chłopców M.:F = 1,77. Przeważali pacjenci w I i w II stopniu zaawansowania klinicznego (63%) i bez objawów ogólnych (62%). W rozpoznaniu histopatologicznym najczęstsza była postać NS (50%) i MC (31%).Wszystkie dzieci otrzymały leczenie chemiczne przed napromienianiem. U 71 zastosowano program B-POPA, u 18 COPP/OPPA, u pozostałych 9 inne schematy leczenia. Pacjenci byli napromieniani na teren pierwotnie zajętych okolic węzłowych, promieniami telekobaltu-60. Stosowano dawki od 20 do 36 Gy, przeważnie 25 Gy (u 65%).Obecnie żyje 91 pacjentów, zmarło jedno dziecko, 5 stracono z obserwacji. Osiemdziesięciu pacjentówzyje żyje bez nawrotu choroby. U żadnego z pozostających w obserwacji dzieci nie stwierdzono póżnych powikłań po napromienianiu

The knowledge of Polish medical students about surgical treatment of obesity

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of morbid obesity is becoming an increasingly important approach for the treatment of this condition. However, knowledge about the possibility of surgical procedures among general practitioners is far from satisfactory. The source of the problem might be due to a lack of information about bariatric surgery in university curriculum. METHODS: We assessed the knowledge of students from four Polish medical universities. The survey was conducted among 468 students, in their sixth (final) year of study. The survey included two parts—the first nine questions assessed of the level of the students’ knowledge about the methods of surgical treatment of obesity, and the following three questions allowed for an evaluation of the amount of information on metabolic surgery provided to students during surgery courses. RESULTS: The results demonstrate a low level of knowledge on the possibility of applying metabolic surgery to treat morbid obesity. The students themselves expressed a need to improve their knowledge and favorably assessed the proposition of expanding the curriculum to include more information on the subject of metabolic surgery. CONCLUSION: The awareness of surgical treatment for morbid obesity among medical students should be improved. The development of an interesting curriculum that is based on current guidelines should be undertaken

Poly(lysine) Dendrimers Form Complexes with siRNA and Provide Its Effcient Uptake by Myeloid Cells: Model Studies for Therapeutic Nucleic Acid Delivery

The disruption of the cellular pathways of protein biosynthesis through the mechanism of RNA interference has been recognized as a tool of great diagnostic and therapeutic significance. However, in order to fully exploit the potential of this phenomenon, efficient and safe carriers capable of overcoming extra-and intracellular barriers and delivering siRNA to the target cells are needed. Recently, attention has focused on the possibility of the application of multifunctional nanoparticles, dendrimers, as potential delivery devices for siRNA. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the formation of dendriplexes using novel poly(lysine) dendrimers (containing lysine and arginine or histidine residues in their structure), and to verify the hypothesis that the use of these polymers may allow an efficient method of siRNA transfer into the cells in vitro to be obtained. The fluorescence polarization studies, as well as zeta potential and hydrodynamic diameter measurements were used to characterize the dendrimer:siRNA complexes. The cytotoxicity of dendrimers and dendriplexes was evaluated with the resazurin-based assay. Using the flow cytometry technique, the efficiency of siRNA transport to the myeloid cells was determined. This approach allowed us to determine the properties and optimal molar ratios of dendrimer:siRNA complexes, as well as to demonstrate that poly(lysine) dendrimers may serve as efficient carriers of genetic material, being much more effective than the commercially available transfection agent Lipofectamine 2000. This outcome provides the basis for further research on the application of poly(lysine) dendrimers as carriers for nucleic acids in the field of gene therapy. © 2020 by the authors

MalnutritiOn assessment with biOelectrical impedaNce analysis in gastRic cancer patIentS undergoing multimodaltrEatment (MOONRISE)—Study protocol for a single-arm multicenter cross-sectional longitudinal study

European data suggests that over 30% of gastric cancer (GC) patients are diagnosed with sarcopenia before surgery, while unintentional weight loss occurs in approximately 30% of patients following gastrectomy. Preoperative sarcopenia significantly increases the risk of major postoperative complications, and preoperative body weight loss remains a superior predictor of outcome and an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in patients with GC. A standardized approach of nutritional risk screening of GC patients is yet to be established. Therefore, the MOONRISE study aims to prospectively analyze the changes in nutritional status and body composition at each stage of multimodal treatment among GC patients from five Western expert centers. Specifically, we seek to assess the association between nutritional status and body composition on tumor response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Secondary outcomes of the study are treatment toxicity, postoperative complications, quality of life (QoL), and OS. Patients with locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma scheduled for multimodal treatment will be included in the study. Four consecutive nutritional status assessments will be performed throughout the treatment. The following study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05723718) and will be conducted in accordance with the STROBE statement. The anticipated duration of the study is 12–24 months, depending on the recruitment status. Results of this study will reveal whether nutritional status and body composition assessment based on BIA will become a validated and objective tool to support clinical decisions in GC patients undergoing multimodal treatment.</p