Tobacco smoking increases dramatically air concentrations of endotoxin.

We used a mass spectrometry-based assay for identifying the endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) marker (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid in cigarette smoke particles and found that smoking involved inhalation of 17.4 pmol of endotoxin per each smoked cigarette. Indoor exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) entailed inhalation of 12.1 pmol of LPS/m3 air, an amount that was 120 times higher than the levels found in smoke-free indoor air. Endotoxin is one of the most potent inflammatory agents known, hence our results may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers, and they may also draw attention to a hitherto unknown or neglected risk factor of ETS

Long QT syndrome - causes and risk factors

Sudden cardiac death is a major public health challenge, which can be caused by genetic or acquired structural or electrophysiological abnormalities. These abnormalities include channelopathies such as long QT, short QT and Brugada syndromes. Long QT syndrome is a cardiac repolarization disorder and is associated with an increased risk of torsades de pointes (TdP). Main causes of acquired syndrome are specific medications and/or electrolytes imbalance. On the other hand common congenital causes are Jervell and Lange-Nielsen or Romano- Ward syndromes. Patients with risk factors, treated with specified QT prolongating drugs always require slow dose titration and electrocardiography monitoring. Aim of this study is to comprehensively and critically review the pathomechanisms of QT prolongation, risk factors and prevention methods

Endotoxin markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with interstitial lung diseases

Background: Exposure to inhaled endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria commonly found in indoor environments and assessed in secondary tobacco smoke, has been associated with airway inflammation and asthma exacerbation. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) from patients with interstitial lung diseases (sarcoidosis, lung fibrosis, smoking-related ILD, eosinophilic disorders) was analyzed for the markers of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin). Methods: BALf was obtained from patients with diffuse lung diseases: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (n = 42), sarcoidosis (n = 22), smoking-related-ILD (n = 11) and eosinophilic disorders (n = 8). Total cell count and differential cell count were performed. In addition, samples were analyzed for 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OHFAs) of 10-18 carbon chain lengths, as markers of LPS, by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: The highest LPS concentration was found in patients with eosinophilic disorders and the lowest in patients with sarcoidosis (p 25%) and those with lower proportion was also significant (p = 0.014). A significant correlation was found between LPS and eosinophils, but not between LPS and lymphocytes, neutrophils, or macrophages count. Conclusions: A positive relationship of LPS and eosinophilic pulmonary disorders may be linked to a persistent eosinophil activation mediated by Th2 pathway: chronic endotoxin exposure would intensify Th2 pathway resulting in fibrosis and, at the same time, eosinophil stimulation, and hence in eosinophilic pulmonary disorders

Hepcydyna a wybrane wskaźniki gospodarki żelazem u ciężarnych kobiet i donoszonych noworodków w pierwszych dniach życia

Objectives: The amount of iron is regulated by hepcidin. The aim of the study was to assess hepcidin concentrations in healthy pregnant women before delivery, in cord blood, and in 3-day-old newborns in relation to maternal and neonatal iron status. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 44 mother-newborn pairs. Serum concentrations of hepcidin, ferritin, and transferrin receptor (sTfR) were assessed. Results: Maternal hepcidin was significantly lower than cord blood (p < 0.001), and full-term newborn values (p < 0.001). Mothers also had the lowest ferritin and sTfR concentrations. The highest concentration of hepcidin was observed in the newborns. They had lower sTfR and higher ferritin concentrations than in cord blood (p < 0.001). Maternal ferritin correlated negatively with sTfR (R = -0.50 p = 0.005), and positively with hepcidin (R = 0.41; p = 0.005). There were no correlations between hepcidin and ferritin or sTfR concentrations in cord blood, nor between hepcidin and ferritin or sTfR concentrations in the newborns. Moreover, there were no correlations between maternal and cord blood or neonatal blood hepcidin, nor between maternal hepcidin and infant iron status. There were also no correlations between hepcidin in cord blood and hepcidin or parameters of the iron status in the children. Conclusions: It may be assumed that a relatively low concentration of hepcidin in women in late pregnancy facilitates their iron accumulation. Higher levels of hepcidin in full-term newborns than in their mothers may be the result of a relatively high level of iron from the stored supplies. Neonatal iron status was independently associated with either maternal or cord blood hepcidin.Cel pracy: Niedobór żelaza lub jego nadmiar ma niekorzystny wpływ na rozwój dziecka. Ilość żelaza regulowana jest przez hepcydynę. Celem pracy było określenie stężenia hepcydyny u zdrowych ciężarnych i u donoszonych noworodków, w zależności od stanu ich zaopatrzenia w żelazo. Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto 44 pary matka-dziecko. Pobrano próbki krwi od ciężarnych przed porodem, z pępowiny i od noworodków w trzeciej dobie życia. W surowicy oznaczano stężenie hepcydyny, ferrytyny i rozpuszczalnego receptora transferyny (sTfR). Wyniki: Stężenie hepcydyny u matek było istotnie statystycznie niższe niż w krwi pępowinowej (p < 0,001) i u noworodków (p < 0,001). Matki miały najniższe stężenia ferrytyny i sTfR. Najwyższe stężenie hepcydyny stwierdzono u noworodków (p < 0,001). Noworodki miały też najwyższe stężenie ferrytyny (p < 0,001) i niższe niż w krwi pępowinowej stężenie sTfR (p < 0,001). U matek, stężenie ferrytyny korelowało negatywnie ze stężeniem sTfR (R = -0,50; p = 0,005) i pozytywnie ze stężeniem hepcydyny (R=0,41; p = 0,005). Nie wykazano korelacji między stężeniem hepcydyny a ferrytyny czy sTfR w krwi pępowinowej oraz między stężeniem hepcydyny a stężeniem ferrytyny, sTfR czy poziomem Hb u noworodków. Nie było również korelacji między stężeniami hepcydyny u matki, w krwi pępowinowej czy w krwi noworodka, jak też między stężeniem hepcydyny u matki i parametrami gospodarki żelazem u noworodka. Wnioski: Na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań można przypuszczać, że niskie stężenie hepcydyny u ciężarnych pozwala na zwiększenie zasobów żelaza do poziomu pokrywającego zapotrzebowanie płodu. Wysokie jej stężenie w krwi pępowinowej i u noworodków wynika ze stosunkowo dobrego zaopatrzenia w żelazo dzieci urodzonych o czasie. Gospodarka żelazem u noworodków nie zależy bezpośrednio od hepcydyny w krwi matki czy w krwi pępowinowej

Wielojęzyczność jako wyzwanie w procesie stanowienia i wykładni prawa Unii Europejskiej

Since the creation of the European Union, its multilingualism has been one of its basic rules and everyday practical assumption. Currently, European Community law refers to 28 countries and is available in 24 official languages, all of which have equal status and in which European Community legal documents are made and published. The simultaneous creation of the originals in multiple languages results in the equal authenticity of each version. The multilingualism of the law, the equality of the language versions and applying law in different legal systems, cause many difficulties in the process of lawmaking, applying law and legal interpretation of European Community law. It is difficult to decide, when it comes to European Community law in various languages, whether we have to do with creating law or translating it. The legal status of the translated originals indicates that the process of translating did not occur, yet in the practical sense it is undeniable that these texts are translations, and ones of a very particular kind. The phase of translating a legal document into other languages is probably the most difficult stage of the process of creating the European community law. The nature of making European Community law is very specific, hence the discrepancy and linguistic incoherence of the language versions, which result in considerable difficulties of the legal interpretation. All authentic language versions of European Community legal documents have equal legal force and the same legal consequences, which means that together they create a common meaning of European Community law and none of them may be rejected during the interpretation of the law.Wielojęzyczność Unii Europejskiej jest jedną z jej podstawowych zasad i praktycznym założeniem funkcjonowania jej organów. Obecnie prawo wspólnotowe odnosi się do 28 państw i jest dostępne w 24 językach urzędowych o jednakowym statusie, w których stanowione i publikowane są wspólnotowe akty prawne. Tworzenie oryginałów w wielu językach sprawia, że każdy z powstałych tekstów jest jednakowo autentyczny. Wielojęzyczność prawa, równość poszczególnych wersji językowych oraz stosowanie prawa w różnych systemach prawnych powoduje trudności w zakresie tworzenia, stosowania i wykładni prawa wspólnotowego. Zastanawiająca wydaje się kwestia, czy w przypadku prawa unijnego w poszczególnych językach mamy do czynienia z jego tworzeniem czy tłumaczeniem. Status prawny przetłumaczonych oryginałów wskazuje, że proces tłumaczenia nie miał miejsca, choć w sensie praktycznym nie da się zaprzeczyć, że teksty te są tłumaczeniami, i to szczególnego rodzaju. Etap tłumaczenia aktu prawnego na inne języki jest prawdopodobnie najtrudniejszą fazą procesu tworzenia prawa wspólnotowego. Specyfika stanowienia prawa wspólnotowego sprawia, że różne wersje językowe aktów prawnych Unii Europejskiej niekiedy okazują się rozbieżne i niespójne językowo, co powoduje, że interpretacja prawa wspólnotowego często rodzi trudności. Wszystkie autentyczne wersje językowe aktów prawa wspólnotowego mają taką samą moc wiążącą i takie same skutki prawne, a w rezultacie wszystkie razem tworzą wspólne znaczenie prawa wspólnotowego i żadna z nich nie może być odrzucona podczas interpretacji

Identification of a group of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from the South Indian BCG trial area by HPLC

Twenty-five isolates of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from the South Indian BCG trial area were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for mycolic acid pattern. The chromatograms differentiated the isolates into four species, namely M. terrae complex, M. intracellulare, M. parafortuitum and M. fortuitum. Three strains were unidentified, one of which did not show any mycolic acid peaks. All isolates had been identified as M. diernhoferi by biochemical methods in a previous study. Nineteen of the isolates were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the presence of tuberculostearic acid, 2-eicosanol and mycolic acid cleavage products, and were classified as nonchromogens or rapidly growing mycobacteria. The results show that HPLC can discriminate the described mycobacterial species better than biochemical methods and GC-MS

In Memoriam: Professor Stanislaw Kafel (1927-2023)

Professor Stanisław Kafel passed away on March 23, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland. He was a distinguished employee of the Institute of Food and Nutrition (IŻŻ) in Warsaw, incorporated in 2020 into the structures of the National Institute of Public Health - National Institute of Hygiene. As an outstanding expert in meat hygiene, Professor Stanislaw Kafel, has also worked for the Food Agriculture Organisation(FAO) in Rome and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva

Identification of bacterial and fungal components in tobacco and tobacco smoke

The microbiological composition of tobacco products was studied using culture and chemical analysis (of tobacco leaves) or chemical analysis only (tobacco and tobacco smoke). The chemical analyses utilized gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining 3-hydroxy fatty acids, muramic acid, and ergosterol as markers of respectively lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan, and fungal biomass. Mesophilic bacteria dominated in both fresh and cured tobacco leaves; a range of additional bacteria and fungi were also found albeit in minor amounts. The peptidoglycan and LPS concentrations were approximately the same in tobacco leaves as in cigarette tobacco. The concentrations of the measured microbial components were much lower in some cigarettes locally produced in China, Korea, and Vietnam than in cigarettes of international brands purchased in the same countries, and the concentrations in the smoke were in general agreement with the concentrations in cigarette tobacco. No differences in microbial load in tobacco of "light" and "full flavor" cigarettes were seen. Storing cigarettes at high humidity resulted in elevated levels of fungi in the cigarette tobacco leading to increased ergosterol concentrations in the smoke. The fact that tobacco smoke is a bioaerosol may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers and non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke since the same symptoms are also commonly associated with exposure to bioaerosols

Left atrial myxoma with concomitant coronary artery stenosis: comprehensive diagnosis and treatment

  A 69-year-old patient was admitted to the Department of Cardiology due to an accidental finding on a chest X-ray, enlarged heart outline, accompanied by worsening of heart failure to NYHA II with LVEF, about 30%. In the X-ray description, an enlargement of the left atrium silhouette with local calcifications. The patient underwent TTE, confirming the presence of a pedunculated tumor of the left atrium attached to the ceiling measuring 3.5x3.5x2.2 cm. Due to the ischemic heart disease manifestation patient uderwent coronarography confirming the presence of single-vessel coronary artery disease with changes in the middle segment of the LAD. Patient was treated with CABG LIMA-LAD surgery and removeal the left atrial tumor. Post operation tissue material prooved the preseance of left atrium myxoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, the patient was discharged home. &nbsp