The molecular diagnosis of house dust mite allergy: a short review

Introduction: House dust mite (HDM) allergens are considered among the most essential elicitors of allergic rhinitis and asthma worldwide [1]. How can we determine the individual sensitization profile of a patient? Is there a way to monitor the development of allergic symptoms? Is it possible to tailor different forms of therapy based on the individual sensitization profile of a patient? Purpose: The study aims to show the benefits of molecular diagnostics of allergies based on the example of HDM allergy. Description of the state of knowledge: Clinical manifestation is the most important aspect of diagnosing HDM allergy. The determination of allergen specific immunoglobulins E (asIgE) against HDM extracts may be helpful in the identification of the cause of allergy symptoms. However, the diagnosis using allergen extracts cannot be established in all cases. What revolutionised the diagnosing process of HDM allergy is the molecular diagnostics of allergy. Based on the presence of asIgE against allergen molecules it is possible to identify the allergen responsible for the sensitisation as well as personalise the therapeutic recommendations.  Summary: The molecular diagnostics of allergy significantly improved the specificity and sensitivity of HDM allergy diagnostics. Molecular diagnostics in individuals with HDM allergy make it possible to establish the individual patient’s allergy profile, and consequently personalise therapeutic recommendations. It is especially important regarding the selection of patients who may benefit from immunotherapy. The component-resolved diagnostics in allergology is a step toward personalised medicine

Gluten - a nutritional enemy or indispensable diet ingredient?

Introduction: Gluten is a mixture of wheat, rye and barley storage proteins. These corps have provided human beings worldwide with energy and nutrients for centuries. However, an increase in the occurrence of symptoms after the consumption of gluten has been observed recently. Although celiac disease is an indication of strict adherence to the gluten-free diet (GFD), the popularity of GFD is growing among healthy people. The risks of unsupported gluten elimination should be assessed before the introduction of GFD.    Purpose: The study aims to define GFD and indicate who should follow the diet, as well as present difficulties concerning strict adherence to GFD and possible consequences of eliminating gluten on one’s own.  Description of the state of knowledge: Regarding the mechanism, in which the symptoms after gluten consumption develop, the following diseases have been distinguished: celiac disease (CD), wheat allergy and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Currently, the only indication of strict long-life adherence to GFD is CD. Such a restrictive approach may cause financial and social problems. Although the introduction of GFD improves the quality of life in CD patients, it does not lead to the immediate disappearance of the symptoms. Healthy people, who decide to eliminate gluten, should balance their diet carefully, as GFD might cause nutritional deficiencies and metabolic diseases.  Summary: Strict long-life adherence to GFD is indicated in CD. This treatment may be problematic, which often is not evident to people who eliminate gluten on their own. Unbalanced GFD can lead to nutritional deficiencies as well as metabolic diseases.&nbsp

Centrum Wsparcia Osób Starszych w Miechowie as an innovative operation of self-government for the benefit of seniors

Samorządy w całej Polsce coraz częściej podejmują działania na rzecz wspierania osób starszych. Podyktowane jest to przede wszystkim danymi demograficznymi, w związku z szybko starzejącym się społeczeństwem. Oprócz wsparcia instytucjonalnego, oferowanego przez ośrodki pomocy społecznej, jednym z rozwiązań może być powołanie Centrum Wsparcia Osób Starszych przy urzędzie. Takie rozwiązanie wprowadziła Gmina Miechów (województwo małopolskie). Analizując działanie Centrum po 2 latach istnienia, podjęto próbę opisania kilku działań, które mogą być wykorzystane w innych gminach.Local governments throughout Poland are increasingly taking measures to support older people. This is dictated primarily by demographic data, in connection with a rapidly aging society. In addition to institutional support offered by social welfare centers, one of the solutions may be to establish an Centrum Wsparcia Osób Starszych. Such a solution was introduced by the Gmina Miechów (Lesser Poland Voivodeship). Analyzing the Center's operation after 2 years of existence, an attempt was made to describe several activities that can be used in other municipalities

Assessment of selected food intake frequency in patients with type 1 diabetes treated with personal insulin pumps

Wprowadzenie. Uważa się, że w cukrzycy typu 1 (T1DM), niezależnie od zastosowanego modelu insulinoterapii, dieta i prawidłowe nawyki żywieniowe są kluczowe w leczeniu cukrzycy. Stosowanie odpowiedniej diety ma na celu utrzymanie prawidłowej masy ciała, uzyskanie prawidłowego poziomu glukozy we krwi po posiłku, optymalnego profil lipidowy i prawidłowe wartości ciśnienia krwi. Cel. Celem badania była ocena diety i kontrola metaboliczna w homogennej grupie osób dorosłych z T1DM leczonych osobistymi pompami insulinowymi. Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto 141 dorosłych pacjentów (57% kobiet) z cukrzycą typu 1 leczonych osobistymi pompami insulinowymi. Badana populacja charakteryzowała się średnim wiekiem 25,8 ± 6,2 lat, średnim czasem trwania cukrzycy 13,9 ± 6,9 lat oraz średnim czasem leczenia osobistą pompą przez 8,2 ± 4,1 lat i średnim BMI 23,0 ± 2,8 g / m2. Wszyscy byli mieszkańcami południowo-wschodniej Polski. Walidowany kwestionariusz KomPAN wykorzystano do oceny częstotliwości spożycia poszczególnych produktów spożywczych. Wyniki. Średni odsetek HbA1c w grupie badanej wynosił 7,3% [56 mmol/mol]. Średni poziom całkowitego cholesterolu wynosił 4,4 mmol / l, HDL - 1,7 mmol / l, LDL - 2,3 mmol / l i triglicerydów - 0,8 mmol / l. W modelu regresji wielorakiej nie stwierdzono korelacji między wskaźnikami diety i wyrównaniem metabolicznym mierzonym za pomocą HbA1c lub lipidogramu oraz miejscem zamieszkania (wieś, małe miasteczko, duże miasto). Jednak różnice w jakości diety zależały od płci. Kobiety charakteryzowały się wyższym wskaźnikiem zdrowej diety (pHDI-10) (26,3 vs 21,4, p = 0,005) i niższym wskaźnikiem niezdrowej diety (nHDI-14) (13,3 vs 18,6, p <0,001) niż mężczyźni. Wnioski: Wyniki tego badania wyraźnie wskazują, że pomimo dobrej kontroli metabolicznej pacjenci wymagają większej edukacji w zakresie wyboru zdrowych grup produktów.Background. It has been established that in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), regardless of the insulin therapy model used, diet and proper eating habits are still important in the treatment of the disease. The dietary intervention in these patients is aimed at maintaining proper body weight, obtaining target fasting and post meal blood glucose levels, optimizing lipid profiles. Objective. The aim of the study was to assess dietary habits in a homogeneous group of adults with T1DM treated with personal insulin pumps. Material and methods. The study included 141 adult patients (57% women) with type 1 diabetes treated with personal insulin pumps. The surveyed population was characterized by an average age of 25.8 ± 6.2 years, an average duration of diabetes 13.9 ± 6.9 years, and treatment with a personal pump for 8.2 ± 4.1 years and mean BMI 23.0 ± 2.8 g/m2 . All were dwellers of south-eastern Poland. The validated KomPAN questionnaire was used to assess the frequency of consumption of individual food products. Results. The mean percentage of HbA1c in the study group was 7.3% [56 mmol/mol]. The mean total cholesterol level was 4.4 mmol/l, HDL - 1.7 mmol/l, LDL - 2.3 mmol/l and triglycerides - 0.8 mmol/l. In the multivariate regression model, no correlation was found between dietary quality parameters and metabolic compensation measured with HbA1c or lipidogram and the place of residence (village, small town, big city). However, there were differences in the quality of the diet depending on the sex. Women were characterized by higher index of a healthy diet (pHDI-10) (26.3 vs 21.4, p=0.005) and lower index of unhealthy diet (nHDI-14) (13.3 vs 18.6, p <0.001) than men. Conclusions. The results of this study clearly suggest, that despite good metabolic control, patients require more education on the choice of healthy product groups

Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) - diagnosis and treatment

Background Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis is the most common pathology of the hip joint in preschool children and adolescents consisting of migration of the proximal femoral epiphysis, posteriorly and inferiorly, to the metaphysis (neck of the femur), which occurs through the epiphyseal (growth) cartilage. SCFE occurs with a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 to 24.58 per 100,000 children aged 8–15 years. Purpouse The aim of the article is to characterize the disease which is SCFE, draw attention to its etiology, diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. Materials and methods The article was based on scientific publications in the Pubmed database. The database was searched on 12 February 2023 using the phrases 'SCFE', 'Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis'. After reading the titles of found articles, 23 publications were selected. After the pre-analysis of the abstracts, 15 full-text works were selected to prepare the article. Results Most SCFE is idiopathic. The relationship between the development of SCFE and endocrine disorders, renal dysfunction and Down syndrome has been noted. The displacement is presumed to be caused by the application of a large axial load to the relatively fragile growth plate. Symptoms of the disease may include atraumatic pain in the hip, thigh or knee, especially if accompanied by a limp or inability to support weight. The first imaging test performed is a radiograph. If radiographs do not show changes consistent with SCFE but clinical suspicion is high, the physician may consider magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for further evaluation. The goal of treating the lesions is to prevent further scaling of the head and to correct the deformity and to avoid osteonecrosis and chondrolysis, so various surgical procedures are used. Conclusions SCFE is an insidious disease that should always be ruled out in the diagnosis of hip pain in children. Its early treatment prevents later complications

Vitamin D - do we need suplementation?

The role of vitamin D in the human body is not only participation in the regulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism, prevention of rickets in children or osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults. Vitamin D deficiency can be caused by a variety of health conditions. Currently, epidemiological studies confirm the relationship between vitamin D deficiency in the body and an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, autoimmune diseases and in cancer prevention. Vitamin D deficiency has been identified as a common metabolic abnormality. Despite known dietary sources of vitamin D and the role of sunlight in its production, a significant proportion of the population may have insufficient serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Amanitine poisoning - cases, management, therapy results

Mushroom poisoning continues to be a serious clinical problem. The most serious are intoxications with mushrooms containing cytotropic toxins with predominant injury of liver, kidneys and heart. The toxic properties of the phalloides are mainly due to α-amanitin, which is an inhibitor of RNA polymerase II. The clinical course of poisoning can be divided for 4 periods. The asymptomatic period usually lasts 6-24 hours after mushroom consumption. Then the period of the gastrointestinal disorder lasting on average 12-24 hours. The second latency period with apparent improvement of the patient's general condition lasting 12-24 hours is subjected to the stage, during which biochemical markers of hepatocyte activity appear. After a few days (usually on the 4-5th day) from poisoning, kidney function may occur (oliguria or anuria), and circulatory system disorders may also occur. Death usually occurs between 4-16 days after poisoning. The treatment of poisoning with amanita phalloides includes a number of procedures, including rapid removal of toxins, blocking the penetration of amatoxins into the hepatic cell, compensation of systemic metabolic disorders, and extracorporeal support of liver function

Effect of nitrogen sources on fermentation process and formation of hydrogen sulfide and ethyl carbamate by wine yeast

The addition of nitrogen compounds during winemaking is required for the fermentation process to be conducted properly. These compounds are known to be essential to the vinification process, not only because they influence yeast growth but also because they affect the formation of main and by-products. The effect of nitrogen source on in vitro and in situ formation of hydrogen sulfide and ethyl carbamate was studied. Research material comprised two strains of wine yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In vitro model was carried out in a synthetic defined medium. In situ fermentations were carried out in musts prepared from apple concentration. The process of hydrogen sulfide formation was intensified in nitrogen deficiency. The presence of amino acids in a model substrate resulted in significant changes in the efficiency of formation of both compounds. Yeasts produced more H2S in the presence of Cys, Phe, Gly, Glu, Ile, Thr, Pro, Leu, Trp, Val and less in the presence Ala, Arg, Asp, His, Ser, Met. The formation of ethyl carbamate was limited by the amino acids, except Arg, Asp and Lys, which during fermentation with Syrena yeasts caused an increase in the efficiency of formation of this compound. The Fermivit V preparation stimulated yeasts to form H2S. In the presence of this preparation the Syrena yeasts formed more ethyl carbamate while Hefix yeasts formed about 3-fold less of this compound then in the presence diamonium phosphate