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

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

Synthesis of novel isothiazolopyridines and their in vitro evaluation against Mycobacterium and Propionibacterium acnes

AbstractIn this paper we describe synthesis, structures and some physicochemical properties of 20 isothiazolopyridines 8–13 substituted differently into an isothiazole ring as well as their in vitro antibacterial assays against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Mycobacterium fortuitum PCM 672 and Propionibacterium acnes PCM 2400. Compound 13a was found to be the most active derivative against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, demonstrating 100% growth inhibition of microorganisms in the primary screen (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] 6.25μg/mL). Nineteen of the prepared compounds were evaluated against M. fortuitum PCM 672 and P. acnes PCM 2400 and only compounds 9 and 12d exhibited excellent activity against individual strains of microorganisms with MIC90 <1μg/mL. The inhibitory action of the remaining isothiazolopyridines towards the tested strains of the microorganism was low, absent, or a non-linear correlation prohibited accurate determination of MIC values. Unexpectedly, seven of the remaining isothiazolopyridines tested against M. fortuitum and P. acnes stimulated growth of the microorganisms in the range 10–50% or even more (10b) under experimental conditions