Microvessel density and CpG island methylation of the THBS2 gene in malignant ovarian tumors.

We aimed to investigate the role of thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) related angiogenic activity in malignant ovarian tumors and to determine if aberrant methylation associated inactivation is involved in down-regulating THBS2 expression in ovarian cancer. The methylation status of the THBS2 promoter region and microvessel density (MVD) was studied in 70 malignant ovarian tumors and in 15 control ovarian samples. A methylation specific PCR (MSP) method was used to distinguish methylated from unmethylated DNA in the promoter regions of the THBS2 gene. MVD was assessed with anti-CD34 antibodies and the results were compared between tumors with average (AVD) and high (HVD) microvessel density. Alterations in the expression of trombospondin-2 were more often seen in early (FIGO stage I and II ) than in late stage tumors (66% vs. 30%, p=0.01). Age, menopausal status, the histological type and tumor grade did not correlate with thrombospondin-2 expression, however, silencing of THBS2 gene was more often seen in higher rather than in lower grade (50% vs. 28%) cancers and in nonserous rather than in serous (43% vs. 32%) tumors. In 81% of THBS2 mRNA-negative tumors, ahypermethylated promoter region of THBS2 was found (p=0.00003). An unmethylated product of the MSP reaction was more often detected in high grade tumors (93% vs. 76%, p=0.04). The incidence of THBS2 hypermethylation was not related to the tumor histological type, but unmethylated THBS2 was more often found in serous rather than in nonserous tumor (96% vs. 74%, p=0.01). The median MVD in malignant the tumor samples was 21,7 (range: 7.6-55.2). In the group with HVD, 54% were THBS2 mRNAnegative, conversely, in the group with AVD tumors only 26% of the cases had undetectable THSB2 mRNA. A significant correlation between microvessel density and the expression of trombospondin-2 (p=0.009) was found. In the samples with HVD, 51% had hypermethylated THBS2, however methylation pattern had no significant influence on microvessel density. In conclusion, hypermethylation might be responsible for altered expression of thrombospondin-2 in ovarian cancer. The THSB2 methylation pattern had no significant influence on microvessel density.

Epidemiology of peri/intraventricular haemorrhage in newborns at term.

Peri/intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) has significant consequences, particularly leading to cases of adverse neurodevelopment. The aim of this study was to asses the epidemiology of peri/intraventricular haemorrhage in newborns born at term. Study was designed and performed according to epidemiological model of case-controlled studies. The study population was based on 2675 full-term neonates (the mean gestational age was 39.1 +/- 1.2 weeks) admitted to Department of Neonatology of Medical University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland) between the years 2003-2005. Periventricular/intraventricular hemorrhage was diagnosed in 392 neonates (14.65%). In this group of neonates 281 (71.68%) were diagnosed as IVH I degrees , 108 (27.55%) as PIVH II degrees , 2 (0.5%) as PIVH III degrees and in 1 neonate (0.25%) as IVH IV degrees . Further research was carried out on 392 neonates who were diagnosed with PIVH (together I degrees -IV degrees ) and 2283 healthy neonate. The study's inclusion criterion was term delivery (after 37(th) week of gestation). Mean gestational age of the group was 39.11 +/-1.26 weeks and ranged from 37 to 43 weeks. The mean gestational age of neonates with PIVH was 38.91 +/- 1.26 week and -38.14 +/- 1.23 week for those neonates without this pathology. Also, the various potential risk factors of PIVH were analyzed such as: gender, newborn's condition in the 5 minutes after birth (assessed by Apgar score), type of delivery (vaginal, cesarean section, vacuum extractor), umbilical collision, intrauterine infection, hypertension, mother's inflammation of urinary tract and infection of upper airways. We postulate that the etiology of PIVH in term neonates is multifactoral. The findings suggest that male gender, lower birth weight and the mode of delivery are associated with the development of PIVH in term neonates.

[Toxicoses of ticks (Acari: Ixodida)]. / Toksykozy kleszczowe (Acari: Ixodida).

Toxins have been shown to present in the salivary glands, whole body extracts, and eggs of ticks. They cause histological lesions in the skin, and in various organs of tick hosts. Among toxicoses, tick paralysis is of the greatest medical and veterinary importance. Toxins are secreted by cells "b" of acinus II in salivary glands during tick feeding.

[Sick rate of scabies among people in the city of Katowice]. / Zachorowania na swierzb wsród ludnosci miasta Katowice.

The incidence of scabies disease was analysed among women, men and children in Katowice in 1993-1997. The materials came from the Municipal Hospital of Dermatology and from the Clinic of Dermatology in Katowice. From the analysis of materials follows that the precentage of infected women and men was low in the studied period and fuctuated between 0.5 % and 1.8 %. Higher percentage appeared among children. The precentage of hospitalized children was higher (9.4 %-12.6 %) than at children from the clinic (2-2.4 %). The most cases concerned children between 1 and 5 years old.

[Application of immunoassay for the detection of giardiasis in children and adults]. / Zastosowanie testu immunoenzymatycznego ELISA do diagnostyki giardiazy u dzieci i osób doroslych.

During the experiments it was used the immunoenzymatic ELISA test which detected the antigen Giardia 65 (GSA 65) in stool. We were tested 96 children of private school in the age of 7 to 14 and 83 persons aged 13 to 65. The samples of the stool firstly examined with standard method: direct smear in isotonic solution of NaCl in Lugol liquid and decantation. The investigated population of children with standard method shows the presence of the Giardia lamblia cyst in one of the samples (1.04%) and with the ELISA test in two samples (2.08%). In second group of the examined persons both methods the standard and ELISA test shows the occurrence of Giardia cyst in the samples (1.2%).

[Zinc deficiency in children infected with Giardia lamblia]. / Deficyty cynku u dzieci zarazonych Giardia lamblia.

The group of children infested with Giardia intestinalis consisted of 52 children aged from 3 to 10 years. The infestation was diagnosed on the basis of duodenal contents examination. The control group comprised 50 children in whom no infestation with intestinal parasites was found. Mean age of children in both groups was not different. Disturbances were found in zinc metabolism in children with Giardia intestinalis infestation. Mean serum zinc concentration in those children was 58% of serum zinc concentration in children in the control group. Similarly, zinc concentration in the erythrocytes of children in the infested group was lower and was 64% of the concentration in children in the control group. Elimination of zinc with urine in infested children was lower than in the control group, and was 36% of the level in non-infested children. Mean concentrations of serum zinc carriers, total protein, albumin fraction and transferrin were not differing between both studied group of children. Also the concentration of picolinic acid--a zinc absorption factor in the gastrointestinal tract--in duodenal contents was similar in both groups. The above mentioned results show that in children infested with Giardia intestinalis a decrease occurs of zinc absorption from the gastrointestinal tract which causes zinc deficiencies in the those children.