The Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis toAmbrosia Elatior in OlteniaArea and the Association with Allergic Conjunctivitis or Asthma.

Introduction-Ambrosia elatior pollen sensitivity can lead to respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, asthma and allergic conjunctivitis. Ambrosia is quite an important source of pollen and it is thought to be an invasive plant. Sensitivity prevalence to Ambrosia pollen varies from one country to another. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of pollen allergic rhinitis caused by Ambrosia elatior in the Oltenia area located in the south west part of Romania. Material and method - The study was carried on 1004 patients with allergic rhinitis. All the patients experienced symptoms of allergic rhinitis, associated with /without conjunctivitis or asthma, and positive skin tests to aeroallergens. Results - In the group under study, 48,80% of the cases are sensitized to Ambrosia elatior pollen. The number of patients with allergic rhinitis and pollen sensitivity to Ambrosia is higher in 2014-2015 compared to 2012, i.e. 282 cases and the symptoms are moderate-severe. Conclusions - Ambrosia elatior pollen has become a major source of aeroallergen in Oltenia area.

Combination of Olanzapine Pamoate with Melatonin and Metformin: Quantitative Changes in Rat Adipose Tissue.

Olanzapine is one of the atypical antipsychotics widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and has been associated with metabolic changes as adverse effects, including hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and weight gain. In a batch of adult female Wistar rats, we studied the prolonged-release intramuscular olanzapine pamoate induced quantitative changes of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue. We also assessed the effects of the combinations of olanzapine pamoate with melatonin, metformin, and melatonin plus metformin, administered by gastric gavage. A higher mean weight of the visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue per animal was noted in the olanzapine pamoate exposed group compared to controls. The association with melatonin, metformin, or the combination of melatonin with metformin attenuated the olanzapine-induced adipose deposit tissue growth. The effect was more pronounced for the combination of olanzapine with melatonin and metformin. Because most of the results were not statistically significant we can deduce that in the chronic experiment, adaptive type modifications of the receptors on which both olanzapine and melatonin act can occur.

Urinary tract infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Study Motivation: After assessing electronic databases of medical scientific literature, we have observed that the interrelation between urinary tract infections (UTIs) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is poorly studied, especially when UTIs are caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae). MATERIALS AND METHODS: K. pneumoniae was isolated in 14 urine samples from patients with CKD addmited in the Nephrology Department of the County Emergency Clinical Hospital Craiova. The isolated strains were statistically analyzed in the correlation with the different clinical and functional parameters (age, gender, CKD stage, comorbidities, biochemical parameters-serum urea, creatinine, uric acid and blood electrolytes). The degree of K. pneumoniae susceptibility to antibiotics from different pharmacodynamic classes was assessed. RESULTS: UTIs with K. pneumoniae in patients with CKD in the investigated period represented 0.51% from the total admissions in the clinic and 32.60% from cases of UTI. Eleven patients with this type of infection (78.56%) were in stage 4 and 5 CKD, and from them 4 also had diabetes mellitus type 2 (28.57%). We observed an increased level for serum creatinine (100%), blood urea (85.71%), and serum uric acid (45.45%). Two patients died after installation of cardiovascular changes in CKD, at advanced ages and in the presence of urinary infection. Multiple drug resistance occurred in 6 strains of K. pneumoniae correlated with the degree of kidney failure, advanced age, male gender, and diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSIONS: UTI with K. pneumoniae in patients with CKD is the second cause of urinary infection which raises problems of unfavorable evolution of CKD and also the recurrence of UTI with multiple drug resistance in CKD, which may lead to pharmacotherapeutical problems.

European symposium on the awareness of allergy: report of the promotional campaign in the European Parliament (26-28 April 2016).

From 26 to 28 of April 2016, an allergy awareness campaign was organized by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations in the European Parliament in Brussels, with support of the European Parliament's Interest group on Allergy and Asthma and was co-hosted by the Members of the European Parliament David Borrelli, Sirpa Pietikainen and Nessa Childers. Skin prick tests (SPTs) were performed to gain attention for the increasing prevalence of allergic airway diseases in Europe. Since more than 30% of the total European population suffers from airway allergies and asthma, reaching a higher level of awareness and elaboration of an active prevention plan is mandatory. Of the 406 individuals undergoing SPT in the European Parliament, 211 participants (52%) reported to have suffered from an allergy in the past, with allergic symptoms being present in the nose and eyes (40% and 36%, respectively), the skin (27%), lower airways (14%) and the gut (8%). Of the 381 SPT with reliable results, cutaneous hypersensitivity was found in 201 (53%) participants. Of those with positive SPT (n = 201), 70 participants (35%) were monosensitized while 131 participants (65%) were polysensitized. The positive skin reactions were found mostly for grass pollen (n = 108), followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (n = 105), Dermatophagoides farina (n = 96) and birch pollen (n = 85). Of note, 54 individuals (14% of the total tested population) without reported allergy or allergic symptoms showed a positive SPT without clinical relevance. This report summarizes the main idea and goals of the symposium: chronic airway diseases are a major and growing health problem in Europe. Therefore, a joint preventive action plan needs to be developed for a better health status of European citizens.

Effects of season and reproductive state on lipid intake and fatty acid composition of gastrointestinal tract contents in the European hare.

We investigated lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition of gastrointestinal tract contents in free-living, herbivorous European hares (Lepus europaeus). Mean crude fat content in hare stomachs and total gastrointestinal (GI) tracts was higher than expected for typical herbivore forages and peaked in late fall when hares massively deposited body fat reserves. Changes of FA proportions in different parts of the GI-tract indicated a highly preferential absorption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). A further reduction of PUFA content in the caecum, along with the appearance of odd-chained FAs in caecum, caecotrophes, and colon content, pointed to a biohydrogenation of PUFA in the hare's hindgut. GI-tract contents showed significant seasonal changes in their FA composition. Among PUFA, α-linolenic acid peaked in spring while linoleic acid was predominant in late summer and fall, which probably reflected changes in the plant composition of forage. However, independent of seasonal changes, GI-tracts of lactating females showed a significantly (+33%) higher content of linoleic acid, a FA that is known to increase reproductive performance in European hares. This finding suggests that lactating females actively selected dietary plants rich in linoleic acid, a PUFA that may represent a limited resource for European hares.

[Visual evoked potentials in the in evaluation of the safety profile of levocetirizine]. / Potentiale evocate vizual în evaluarea profilului de siguranta al levocetirizinei.

UNLABELLED: Because human histamine H1 receptors were visualized at different brain levels, we evaluated the effects of levocetirizine (LCZ) on the visual evoked potentials (VEP). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eighteen volunteer subjects were included in a placebo-controlled study, VEP recordings (pattern-reversal technique) were performed at baseline and 240 min. post-medication, and the N75-P100-N135 complex parameters (latency, duration, amplitude and surface of the components) were measured in the leads FzOL5, FzOz and FzOR5. RESULTS: LCZ 5 mg p.o. induced no statistically significant changes, neither in the mean values of all P100 parameters, nor in the mean latency of N75 and N135 components. No unilateral or bilateral alterations of VEP parameters were detected, suggesting that LCZ has no influence on the functional integrity of visual sensorial pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study may initiate a novel approach in the neurological safety profile evaluation of new H, antihistamines using VEP, with the advantage of no radiological exposure.

New asthma drugs acting on gene expression.

New asthma drugs acting on transcription are transcription factor agonists (dissociated steroids, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists), transcription factor inhibitors (NF-kappaB / AP-1 inhibitors, STAT6 inhibitors), inhibitors of protein kinases acting on transcription factors (p38 MAP kinase inhibitors), and chromatin modifying agents. Pharmacological approach of translation in asthma includes therapeutic ribozymes and antisense oligonucleotides targeting receptors (adenosine A1 receptor, alpha chain of IL-5 receptor, common beta chain of IL-3/IL-5/GM-CSF receptor), cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, SCF), signal transduction molecules (Syk, Lyn), transcription factors (STAT-6, GATA-3). Some of these drugs acting on gene expression have the potential to improve therapeutic benefits compared with traditional drugs.