Quality of life of children with mitral valve prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our prospective study was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and the impact of clinical symptoms on HRQOL. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with primary MVP aged 8-18 years were studied and compared with 31 healthy children. All children completed the polish version of KIDSCREEN-27. For searching occurrence and frequency of 18 clinical symptoms, authors' questionnaire was used. RESULTS: The statistically significant difference was found only for one from five searching dimensions of HRQOL-physical well-being. In the remaining studied aspects of HRQOL, no statistically significant differences were found in comparison with the healthy children. The statistically significant moderate correlation between the number and frequency of clinical symptoms and physical well-being was found. CONCLUSIONS: In children with MVP, the lower self-assessment is observed mainly in evaluation of their health and own physical activity. The remaining studied dimensions of HRQOL are comparable with the healthy children. However, within the population of children suffering from MVP, the frequency of clinical symptoms impact upon the different HRQOL dimensions. Thus, MVP represents a heterogeneous population. Whether there are impairments of HRQOL largely depend on the severity and frequency of clinical symptoms.

[Risk factors of graft-versus-host disease in patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation]. / Czynniki ryzyka wystepowania choroby przeszczep przeciw gospodarzowi u pacjentów po allogenicznym przeszczepieniu macierzystych komórek krwiotwórczych.

BACKGROUND: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the most common and most serious complication of allogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of GVHD after allogeneic HSCT depending on the diagnosis and risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group comprised 78 patients aged 18 to 61 in whom allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cell in the Department and Clinic of Hematology, Oncology and Internal Diseases of Medical University in Warsaw (Poland) was performed. RESULTS: Acute form of GVHD was significantly more often occurred after total body irradiation (TBI) for patients with TBI who did not (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for aGVHD were: age of the recipient, acute myeloid leukemia, myeloablative conditioning, TBI and unrelated donor.

Dose-dependent antioxidant function of resveratrol demonstrated via modulation of reactive oxygen species in normal human skin fibroblasts in vitro.

The study of free radicals is particularly relevant in the context of human skin carcinogenesis and photoaging because of their ability to induce DNA mutations and damaging lipid peroxidation byproducts. Therefore, it is important to identify and evaluate agents with the ability to modulate intracellular free radicals. Significant interest exists in evaluating the chemotherapeutic and anti-oxidant properties of resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene). Resveratrol is a phytoalexin, a naturally occurring compound derived from the skin of grapes and other plants. Resveratrol was selected for evaluation because of demonstrated chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties in a murine skin cancer model and other human cancer models through a variety of mechanisms. However, the intracellular anti-oxidant properties of resveratrol on free radicals in human skin cells in vitro is not well characterized. The purpose of this research is to investigate the ability of resveratrol to modulate the hydrogen peroxide-induced upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) free radicals in normal human skin fibroblast cells in vitro. Hydrogen peroxide is a well known generator of free radicals that occurs during endogenous and UV-induced oxidation processes in the human skin and was used to upregulate ROS in normal human skin fibroblast cells. Using a flow cytometry-based assay, the results demonstrate highly significant (P<0.001) dose-dependent reduction of intracellular hydrogen peroxide-upregulated ROS by resveratrol at 0.01%, 0.001% and 0.0001% concentrations in human skin fibroblasts in vitro.

Gastritis - facts and doubts.

INTRODUCTION: Many clinicians consider chronic gastritis to be equivalent to Helicobacter pylori infection. However, it is known that there are numerous other causes of the condition. AIM: Determination of the incidence of gastritis in patients with dyspepsia referred for diagnostic endoscopy of the upper part of the digestive tract, identification of the parts of the stomach most frequently affected by the inflammation, as well as the impact of an insufficient number of collected samples on the correct diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy due to dyspepsia was performed in 110 patients. In the course of gastroscopy two biopsy specimens were collected for histopathological examination and towards H. pylori infection from the lesser and greater curvature in the antrum 3 cm from the pyloric sphincter, in the body - 4 cm proximally to the stomach angular incisure on the lesser curvature, and in the middle of the greater curvature, as well as in the subcardiac region on the side of the lesser and greater curvature. RESULTS: In patients with dyspepsia H. pylori-negative chronic gastritis is more common than gastritis with accompanying H. pylori infection. Collection of too small a number of biopsy specimens results in failure to detect inflammatory changes and/or H. pylori infection, which may be limited to one part of the stomach. Biopsy specimens of gastric mucosa should be collected in compliance with the assumptions of the Sydney System. Helicobacter pylori infection in people with dyspepsia is now being reported more rarely than in the past (36%). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with dyspepsia chronic H. pylori-negative gastritis is more common than gastritis with an accompanying H. pylori infection. Helicobacter pylori infection is not always equivalent to the presence of chronic gastritis.

[The evaluation of results of the surgical treatment in patients with otosclerosis]. / Ocena wyników sluchowych u chorych na otoskleroze leczona operacyjnie róznymi metodami.

The authors presents hearing results in 216 patients with otosclerosis surgical treated. Averaged cochlear reserve in relation to the bone conduction determined before operation was used in this study. The follow-up was 2 months-10 years. Good results was proved in more than 93%, no change in 5% and deterioration in less than 2%. The cochlear reserve up to 10 dB obtained in 59% of all patients. The cases when no changes (and deterioration) after surgical treatment correlated to large anomaly evolution in the structure of the hole drum and extensive focus with otosclerosis.

Impaired glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Some studies have found that people with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of neoplasms, especially colorectal cancer (CRC). In other studies it is also suggested that there is a higher incidence of diabetes mellitus in patients with CRC. The aims of this study were to assess whether the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are higher in subjects with CRC and to determine the difference between diabetic subjects and healthy controls regarding glucose metabolism (glycaemia, insulinaemia, serum levels of C-peptide) as well as insulin resistance and sensitivity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a total of 80 subjects: 40 enrolled patients (20 M, 20 F) with newly diagnosed sporadic colorectal cancer and 40 subjects with endoscopically excluded CRC or adenomas serving as controls. Subjects were matched for gender, age and body mass index (BMI) (age +/- 5 years BMI +/- 1 kg/m2). A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed after an overnight fast. Samples for glycaemia, serum levels of C-peptide and insulin were taken at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min of the study. HOMA-IR, EIR, EIR/HOMA-IR indexes were calculated. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher incidence of impaired glucose metabolism (IGM-diabetes mellitus or IGT) in CRC subjects. No differences were found in levels of glucose, insulin or C-peptide. Insulinaemia and C-peptide curves showed a shift typical of diabetes, in the form of a delayed insulin release peak. The HOMA-IR, EIR as well as the EIR/HOMA-IR indexes showed no differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: A significantly higher incidence of IGM appears to occur in CRC patients than in the healthy population. This phenomenon is not dependent on age and body-weight, which may suggest that it is cancer that predisposes to diabetes rather than the other way round. The neoplastic process in the colon is not associated with hyperinsulinaemia or insulin resistance, but in CRC patients, pancreatic B-cell dysfunction typical of the early stages of diabetes is seen.

[Pancreastatin secretion stimulation in healthy volunteers]. / Stymulacja wydzielania pankreastatyny u zdrowych ochotników.

According to animal studies pancreastatin (PST), a peptide that is secreted by numerous neroendocrine cells, inhibits insulin secretion and has a hyperglycaemic and glycogenolytic effect. However, physiologic role of PST in carbohydrate metabolism remains unclear. In order to determine the best stimulus of PST secretion, four different stimulations of GI tract were carried out in 10 healthy volunteers: oral glucose loading test, intravenous glucose loading test, intravenous glucagon infusion and standard meal loading test. Serum PST concentration was measured radioimmunologically at established intervals after each stimulation. It was found that either oral or intravenous glucose loading test do not increase serum PST concentration; intravenous glucagon infusion decreases serum PST concentration and a standard meal increases serum PST concentration.