Occurrence of autoantibodies for gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases in children with common variable immune deficiency and selected IgA deficiency

Introduction: Selected IgA deficiency (IgAD) and common variable immune deficiency (CVID) are humoral immunity deficiencies frequent in children. In both these types of immunodeficiency, autoimmune diseases are present in 20-30% of patients, but the disease profiles are different between adults and children. Autoimmune diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (IBD) and celiac disease are typical for children with IgAD and CVID. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms, histology of jejunum and antibodies often preceding the onset of disease. However, the diagnosis of IBD and celiac disease is difficult in immune deficiency patients due to weaker or absent production of antibodies, and different jejunum histology, particular in CVID patients. Aim: Detection of antibodies for autoimmune diseases in children with diagnosis of CVID and IgAD. Material and methods: The study included 43 children with CVID and 63 children with IgAD diagnosis. Antibodies typical for celiac disease (for endomysium, tissue transglutaminase and gliadin) were tested in IgA class (CVID patients), IgG class (IgAD, CVID patients) and found in 16 patients (3 - CVID, 13 - IgAD). Results: Antibodies for IBD (for Saccharomyces cerevisiae antigen - ASCA, goblet cells - Gab, neutrophil’s cytoplasm - ANCA, pancreatic cells - Pab) were noted in 17 patients (7 - CVID, 10 - IgAD). Celiac disease was diagnosed in two children with mild and unspecific clinical symptoms followed by introduction of a gluten-free diet. The remaining children with present antibodies but without clinical symptoms involving the gastrointestinal tract are under careful clinical observation with antibody assay every 6 months. Conclusions: The antibodies are produced despite impaired humoral immunity but the level might be low so the lower limit of positive results is postulated

Photodegradation assessment of amisulpride, doxepin, haloperidol, risperidone, venlafaxine, and zopiclone in bulk drug and in the presence of excipients

Photostability of amisulpride, doxepin, haloperidol, risperidone, venlafaxine, and zopiclone in APIs and powdered tablets during exposure to UVA irradiation was studied. In order to evaluate the photodegradation process an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed and validated. It was found that the photodegradation of the studied compounds depends on the type of drug and co-existing excipients. Different percentage of photodegradation of the studied drugs was observed, and therefore amisulpride decomposed at 2.63% in bulk drug and at 5.74% in pharmaceutical preparation, doxepin: 29% and 72.38%, haloperidol: 3.71% and 26.20%, risperidone: 7.13% and 12.86%, venlafaxine: 38.59% and 4.22%, zopiclone: 18.62% and 31.42% respectively, after 114 days of UVA irradiation. In addition, kinetic evaluation of the photodegradation process was performed by determining the order of reaction, reaction rate constant k and time $t_{0.1}$ and $t_{0.5}$. The photodegradation products of studied drugs were identified, and their fragmentation pathways, derived from MS/MS data, were proposed. The photostability testing is an integral part of the drug stability assessment to ensure quality, efficacy and safety of the formulated products during manufacturing process, storage as well as normal use

Voltammetric determination of trace elements (Cu, Pb, Zn) in peloid-based pharmaceuticals

The research on the potential health risk posed to consumers by toxic elements that can be found in peloids is still lacking. Moreover, in Polish law no clinical or pharmacological tests are required to identify healing properties of peloids. The objective of this work was to determine some mineral content in selected peloids used in medical treatment. Anodic stripping voltammetry with differential pulse step was used for zinc, copper and lead determination. Decomposition of organic matrix was conducted by a simple wet digestion procedure using acid digestion vessel. Obtained results showed that proposed methods were suitable for the determination of investigated metallic elements. Lead content varied between 0.18 mg/kg (in MaúÊ Borowinowa) and reached up to 15.5 mg/kg of dry weight for Chokrak peloid. Zinc content ranged from 0.64 to 66.87 mg/kg and copper content was between 0.57 and 7.50 mg/kg. The proposed method was validated, the recovery for peloid samples were 94 ñ 102%; 92 ñ 97%; 96 ñ 106% for copper, zinc and lead, respectively

Development and validation of stability-indicating HPLC methods for the estimation of lomefloxacin and balofloxacin oxidation process under ACVA, H2O2H_{2}O_{2} or KMnO4KMnO_{4} treatment. Kinetic evaluation and identification of degradation products by mass spectrometry

The oxidation of lomefloxacin (LOM) and balofloxacin (BAL) under the influence of azo initiator of radical reactions of 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) (ACVA) and H2O2 was examined. Oxidation using H2O2 was performed at room temperature while using ACVA at temperatures: 40, 50, 60 °C. Additionally, the oxidation process of BAL under the influence of KMnO4 in an acidic medium was investigated. New stability-indicating HPLC methods were developed in order to evaluate the oxidation process. Chromatographic analysis was carried out using the Kinetex 5u XB—C18 100A column, Phenomenex (Torrance, CA, USA) (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size, core shell type). The chromatographic separation was achieved while using isocratic elution and a mobile phase with the composition of 0.05 M phosphate buffer (pH = 3.20 adjusted with o-phosphoric acid) and acetonitrile (87:13 v/v for LOM; 80:20 v/v for BAL). The column was maintained at 30 °C. The methods were validated according to the ICH guidelines, and it was found that they met the acceptance criteria. An oxidation process followed kinetics of the second order reaction. The most probable structures of LOM and BAL degradation products formed were assigned by the UHPLC/MS/MS method

Zinc and propolis reduces cytotoxicity and proliferation in skin fibroblast cell culture : total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of propolis

It has been demonstrated that zinc exerts its beneficial influence on skin fibroblasts. Propolis, a complex mixture of plant-derived and bees’ products, was reported to stimulate cicatrization processes in skin and prevent infections. The aim of this study was to find out how zinc and propolis influence human skin fibroblasts in cell culture and to compare the effect of individual compounds to the effect of a mixture of zinc and propolis. In this study, zinc, as zinc aspartate, at a concentration of 16 μM, increased human fibroblasts proliferation in cell culture, whereas propolis at a concentration of 0.01 % (w/v) revealed antiproliferative and cytotoxic action followed by mild cell necrosis. In culture, zinc was effectively transported into fibroblasts, and propolis inhibited the amount of zinc incorporated into the cells. An addition of propolis to the medium caused a decrease in the Zn(II) amount incorporated into fibroblasts. The obtained results also indicate an appreciable antioxidant property of propolis and revealed its potential as a supplement when applied at doses lower than 0.01 % (w/v). In conclusion, the present study showed that zinc had a protective effect on human cultured fibroblasts’ viability, although propolis revealed its antiproliferative action and caused mild necrosis

Selenium deficiency and the dynamics of changes of thyroid profile in patients with acute myocardial infarction and chronic heart failure

Background: Selenium (Se) is incorporated in 25 enzymes, for example, glutathione peroxidase (activatedb by oxidative stress) and deiodinases (converting thyroid hormones). Oxidative stress present in heart failure (HF) and myocardial infarction (MI) might cause Se deficiency and decreased thyroxine to triiodothyronine conversion. Aims:  We sought to evaluate Se levels in Polish patients with MI, HF, and healthy volunteers in relation to thyroid hormone levels. Methods: The study group consisted of 143 participants: 54 patients with MI, 59 patients with decompensated HF, and 30 healthy matched volunteers. The patients underwent echocardiography and laboratory tests on admission and 5 months later. Results: Se levels were lower in patients with MI and HF than in controls (median [interquartile range, IQR], 65.9 [55.2–76.1] μg/l and 59.7 [47.7–70.7] μg/l vs 93.2 [84.2–99.1] μg/l, respectively; P < 0.001). The Se deficiency was very common in patients with MI and HF, while it was rare in controls (70.37% and 74.58% vs 10%, respectively; P < 0.001). Patients with MI and HF presented lower free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels and lower FT3 to free thyroxine (FT4) ratio in comparison with controls (median [IQR], 3.90 [3.60–4.38] pmol/l and 4.25 [3.57–4.60] pmol/l vs 4.92 [4.50–5.27] pmol/l; P < 0.001; and 0.25 [0.23–0.29] and 0.25 [0.21–0.28] vs 0.32 [0.29–0.37]; P < 0.001, respectively). There was a weak to moderate correlation between Se level, FT3 level, and the FT3/FT4 ratio. At follow‑up, the FT3/FT4 ratio tended to normalize in patients with MI and remained decreased in patients with HF (mean [SD], 0.31 [0.06] vs 0.27 ([0.05]; P < 0.001. Conclusions: Se deficiency is very common in Polish patients with MI and HF. Thyroid hormones disturbances were more transient in patients with MI, but more chronic in those with HF

Optimization of method for zinc analysis in several bee products on renewable mercury film silver based electrode

Zinc is an interesting target for detection as it is one of the elements necessary for the proper functioning of the human body, its excess and deficiency can cause several symptoms. Several techniques including electrochemistry have been developed but require laboratory equipment, preparative steps and mercury or complex working electrodes. We here described the development of a robust, simple and commercially available electrochemical system. Differential pulse (DP) voltammetry was used for this purpose with the cyclic renewable mercury film silver based electrode (Hg(Ag)FE) and 0.05 M KNO3 solution as a supporting electrolyte. The effect of various factors such as: preconcentration potential and time, pulse amplitude and width, step potential and supporting electrolyte composition are optimized. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 1.62 ng/mL and 4.85 ng/mL, respectively. The repeatability of the method at a concentration level of the analyte as low as 3 ng/mL, expressed as RSD is 3.5% (n = 6). Recovery was determined using certified reference material: Virginia Tobacco Leaves (CTA-VTL-2). The recovery of zinc ranged from 96.6 to 106.5%. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of zinc in bee products (honey, propolis and diet supplements) after digestion procedure

Semiautomatic and fully functional electrochemical microanalyzer BO-05 suitable for scientific, didactic, and analytical applications : the use in the potentiometric analysis of drugs

This article presents the potentiometric method of determination of chlorides using the original BO-05 electrochemical microanalyzer. The quantification of chlorides is one of the frequently performed methods, both in the indirect determination of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and impurities in pharmaceutical raw materials, pharmacopoeial substances or pharmaceutical formulations as well. Successfully validated method was used to the analysis of chlorides in the preparations containing verapamil hydrochloride in form of tablets Staveran® and Verapamil® . The mean content of the studied API calculated to one tablet was close to the declared and equal to 123.6±1.5 mg and 122.6±1.1 mg, respectively. The presence of excipients have no significant impact on the final results. Thus shown that the electrochemical microanalyzer BO-05 is suitable for scientific, didactic and analytical applications

Semiautomatic and fully functional electrochemical microanalyzer BO-05 suitable for scientific, didactic, and analytical applications: The use in the potentiometric analysis of drugs

This article presents the potentiometric method of determination of chlorides using the original BO-05 electrochemical microanalyzer. The quantification of chlorides is one of the frequently performed methods, both in the indirect determination of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and impurities in pharmaceutical raw materials, pharmacopoeial substances or pharmaceutical formulations as well. Successfully validated method was used to the analysis of chlorides in the preparations containing verapamil hydrochloride in form of tablets Staveran® and Verapamil®. The mean content of the studied API calculated to one tablet was close to the declared and equal to 123.6±1.5 mg and 122.6±1.1 mg, respectively. The presence of excipients have no significant impact on the final results. Thus shown that the electrochemical microanalyzer BO-05 is suitable for scientific, didactic and analytical applications