Exploring a possible association between the occurrence of the SERPINE1-675 4G/5G (rs1799889) polymorphism and the increased risk of esophageal cancer in the Caucasian population.

The goal of this research was to analyze the SERPINE1 -675 4G/5G (rs1799889) and MMP9 T-1702A (rs2297864) polymorphisms in esophageal cancer among polish patients, classified as part of the Caucasian population. The analysis of polymorphic gene variants was performed on 35 randomly selected samples excised from patients with esophageal cancer. The tissue specimens were stored as Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) blocks. All patients in the sample group were of Caucasian ethnicity. The genotype distribution of MMP9 T-1702A and SERPINE1 -675 polymorphisms was analyzed using the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) method. A correlation between the expression of -675 polymorphic form of SERPINE1 and alcohol abuse has been found. Additionally, a correlation between the -675 polymorphism and the subtype of EC developed by the patient has been shown. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report investigating the SERPINE1 -675 4G/5G (rs1799889) polymorphism as a potential candidate for a prognostic biomarker of esophageal cancer.

Expression of MMP9, SERPINE1 and miR-134 as prognostic factors in esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a malignant tumor with a typically poor prognosis for patients. It is well known that certain microRNA (miRNA/miR) genes can regulate other genes responsible for carcinogenesis. In the present study, a group of these genes (miR-21, miR-134, miR-205 and miR-495) and genes connected with cancer-related pathways (MET, MMP9, PDGFA and SERPINE1) were chosen for analysis in order to find a potential correlation between their expression and the clinicopathological factors of EC. Esophageal tumors and adjacent non-cancerous tissue specimens were collected from a total of 63 patients and embedded in paraffin. Commercial arrays were used on KYSE-30, KYSE-150 and KYSE-270 EC cell lines in order to find genes of different expression profiles compared with those acquired from the control Het-1A cell line. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples in order to analyze the expression of the genes chosen in the earlier step. The results were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Kaplan-Meier methods and the long-rank test. Only miR-495 was not expressed in the analyzed samples. The expression of MMP9 and SERPINE1 was significantly coefficient with age range (P=0.011 and P=0.044, respectively) according to the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Spearman's rank-order correlation measurement showed that there was a coefficient correlation between age and miR-134 expression. The same measurement demonstrated a correlation between age range and MMP9 expression. The expression of miR-134 and MMP9 were also found to be correlated. In all cases, a value of P<0.049 was recorded. Overall, the present study demonstrated that MMP9, SERPINE1 and miR-134 were the most prognostic genes in Caucasian patients with EC.

Anaphylaxis as a cause of hospitalization--a single academic centre experience.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, more and more often the increase in incidence of allergies is observed. According to the WHO, they are getting the fourth position amongst the most frequent diseases after cancers, cardiovascular diseases and AIDS. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, systemic or generalised immediate hypersensitivity reaction. The analysis of the causes and the clinical picture of anaphylaxis in patients treated at single academic hospital centre was the purpose of the study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was based on retrospective analysis of case records of the patients hospitalised at the Chair and Department of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases, the Jan Biziel University Hospital in Bydgoszcz in the years 2005-2010. 132 patients, in whom anaphylactic reaction appeared, were analysed. The examined population included 70 men and 62 women at 16-95 years of age. RESULTS: The conducted examinations allowed to obtain information about the causes and the course of anaphylactic reactions. The problem of hypersensitivity to substances of various origin (biological or synthetic) can concern everyone irrespective of sex and age. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of anaphylaxis more often occurred in the examined men than women. Most cases of anaphylactic reactions were reported in the 26-50 age range. Based on the presented results, no regularity was observed in anaphylaxis clinical picture and its causative factor. CONCLUSIONS: It is difficult to forecast the course of the reaction based on the causative factor, for anaphylactic reaction is characterised by a great individual changeability and intensity of the first symptoms.

Drug Interactions in Parkinson's Disease: Safety of Pharmacotherapy for Arterial Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system, observed in patients aged older than 50 years. In this study, we review interactions between therapies used in PD and selected antihypertensive agents. Moreover, in view of the lack of evidence-based recommendations regarding the pharmacotherapy of arterial hypertension in PD patients, we propose effective and safe therapeutic algorithms for these two coexisting conditions. METHOD: We used the "Drug interactions" database affiliated with the Ministry of Health, which allows for the identification of interactions between compared active compounds. The database is updated on a monthly basis and all data are consistent with current legislation. For information about interactions, we additionally added data from the British National Formulary, a joint publication of the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. In this analysis, we also used data from Micromedex®, Cerner Multum™, Wolters Kluwer™, Lexicomp® and Stockley's®. We analysed the potential interactions between antihypertensive and anti-parkinsonian agents included in respective guidelines on the pharmacotherapy of these conditions. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed the lack of clinically relevant interactions between preparations of levodopa and benserazide (used for the treatment of PD) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, antagonists of AT1 receptor for angiotensin II or antagonists of ß-adrenoreceptors (ß-adrenolytics). CONCLUSION: To avoid major drug-to-drug interactions, patients receiving preparations of levodopa and benserazide should be prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, antagonists of AT1 receptor for angiotensin II, or antagonists of ß-adrenoreceptors (ß-adrenolytics) as the first-line agents of antihypertensive treatment.

Whole-body cryostimulation increases parasympathetic outflow and decreases core body temperature.

The cardiovascular, autonomic and thermal response to whole-body cryostimulation exposure are not completely known. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate objectively and noninvasively autonomic and thermal reactions observed after short exposure to very low temperatures. We examined 25 healthy men with mean age 30.1 ± 3.7 years and comparable anthropomorphical characteristic. Each subject was exposed to cryotherapeutic temperatures in a cryogenic chamber for 3 min (approx. -120 °C). The cardiovascular and autonomic parameters were measured noninvasively with Task Force Monitor. The changes in core body temperature were determined with the Vital Sense telemetric measurement system. Results show that 3 min to cryotherapeutic temperatures causes significant changes in autonomic balance which are induced by peripheral and central blood volume changes. Cryostimulation also induced changes in core body temperature, maximum drop of core temperature was observed 50-60 min after the stimulation. Autonomic and thermal reactions to cryostimulation were observed up to 6 h after the exposure and were not harmful for examined subjects.

Azacrown ether-copper(ii)-hexanoate complexes. From monomer to 1-D metal organic polymer.

The synthesis and characterisation of two new Cu(ii)-hexanoate-azacrown ether species are described. The first monomeric complex is a "classical" macrocyclic Cu(ii) complex with two monodentate axially coordinated carboxylates serving as counterions. The second is an adduct of the former complex with the copper(ii) hexanoate paddlewheel dimer, Cu(2)(hexanoate)(4), forming an infinite 1-D chain of alternating monomer-dimer units. The electronic and magnetic properties of both species are discussed based on UV-vis, IR, X-ray and EPR studies combined with the DFT calculations. The UV-vis titration results prove that complex and the polymeric species are in equilibrium in toluene solution.