Chronic inflammation stimulates of neovascularization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sera from interstitial lung diseases (ILD) patients on angiogenic capabilities of different subsets of mononuclear cells. Serum samples were obtained from 22 patients with sarcoidosis, 20 with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 20 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, ...

In this study we investigated microcirculation in the lungs in their in situ physiological location inside the thorax. The study was performed with the use of a system of contact optics. A 'window', 4 × 4 mm in size, was made in thorax tissues and pleura of an anaesthetized rat. ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, inflammatory condition, involving airways and lung parenchyma. The disease leads to airflow limitation, and pulmonary hyperinflation, resulting in dyspnea, decreased exercise tolerance, and impaired quality of life. COPD pharmacotherapy guidelines are based on a combination of long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA), long-acting antimuscarinic agents ...

NETosis is a unique death pathway that differs from apoptosis and necrosis and depends on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NADPH oxidase. During this process, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are created. NETs are extracellular structures composed of chromatin and variety of proteins from cells granules that bind ...

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and the antioxidative stress defense systems in cells. ROS/RNS or carcinogen metabolites can attack intracellular proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which can result in genetic mutations, carcinogenesis, and other diseases. Nrf2 plays a critical role ...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients present increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress is involved in OSA and cardiovascular pathology. The aim of the study was to assess oxidative stress markers in the blood of OSA males during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The study involved OSA-suspected obese males (BMI ...

This study presents epidemiological and clinical data on non-sentinel patients considered by physicians as suspected to be infected with pandemic A(H1N1)2009 virus, from whom clinical specimens were sent for testing to the National Influenza Center, NIPH-NIH in Warsaw, Poland. Between April 28, 2009 and August 10, 2010, 988 (15.7%) out ...

Lung cancer is recognized among the most frequent causes of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS). Neurological syndromes in subjects with systemic malignancy remain a clinical and diagnostic challenge. The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of NPS, their clinical manifestation and association with onconeural antibodies in patients with ...

In Poland no vaccines against influenza type A/H1N1 were available in the epidemic season 2009/2010. In our Department within 45 days (November-December 2009) 17 influenza suspected children (24%) were positive for influenza type A (QiuckVue Influenza A + B rapid tests). Of these 17 children, seven were hospitalized at the ...

Athletes have changes in the lung epithelial cells caused by inhalation of cold and dry air. The exhaled breath condensate contains a number of mediators from the respiratory system and H(2)O(2) is described as a marker of airways inflammation. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of ...

The interest in L-arginine metabolism was triggered primarily by the discovery of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in mammals and its remarkable biological roles. The real role of L-arginine in the airway hyperreactivity (AHR) has not been established yet. Therefore, we studied whether supplementation of L-arginine can influence the experimental AHR ...

The aim of the study was to prepare and evaluate the experimental model of allergic asthma. Changes in chough reflex, bronchoconstriction and the degree of inflammation were studied in ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized guinea pigs after 0, 7, 14, 21 days of exposure. The cough reflex was induced by citric acid ...

Oral peroxidases (OPO) consist mainly of salivary peroxidase and myeloperoxidase and are involved in oral defense mechanisms. Salivary peroxidase is synthesized and secreted by salivary glands, whereas myeloperoxidase is found in polymorphonuclear leukocytes, which migrate into the oral cavity at gingival crevices. Green tea is the world's second most popular ...

Apoptosis is the fundamental process necessary for eliminating damaged or mutated cells. Alterations in the apoptotic pathway appear to be key events in cancer development and progression. Bcl-2 is the key member of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis regulator proteins with anti-apoptotic effects. Survivin acts as an inhibitor of apoptosis ...

PNA-LNA PCR clamp real-time PCR method represents allele-specific approach to mutation analysis of EGFR gene in NSCLC. Due to its unique design, it is characterized by exceptionally high specificity and sensitivity but also allows detection of rare or not specifically-targeted EGFR mutations within examined exons, otherwise undetectable by other mutation-specific ...

Clinicians often do not consider the presence of more than one viral etiologic agent in respiratory infection, and in many cases they order diagnostics for influenza viruses or recently even only for A(H1N1)2009 virus. However, in a substantial number of patients with a respiratory tract disease, co-infection with various viral ...

We evaluated the maximal mouth inspiratory pressure and the EMG patterns of major respiratory and accessory muscles used in the generation of voluntary inspiratory maneuvers during different body positions. Ten healthy subjects (F/M-4/6), the mean age 22.000B10.6 years, participated in the study. The maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP) during Müller's ...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of -cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study was to analyze three specific adhesion molecules involved in the development of an atherosclerotic plaque: E-selectin (endothelium), L-selectin (leukocyte surface), and P-selectin (from platelet), circulating in plasma in patients at ...

Antibodies against the Na/I symporter (anti-NIS ab) have been found in adult patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases. As easily available for the immune system, NIS can play a role in the initial stage of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Children with Turner's syndrome (TS) being at high risk of autoimmune thyroid disease ...

Opioid receptors which are involved in cough generation are abundantly expressed in the brainstem. Codeine is a potent μ-opioid receptor agonist. In the present study we examined the effects of naloxone, a μ-opioid receptor antagonist, on mechanically-induced tracheobronchial cough and on the cough suppressing effect of codeine in six pentobarbitone ...

During development and aging, vascular remodeling represents a critical adaptive response to modifications in oxygen supply to tissues. Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) has a crucial role and is modulated by oxygen levels, with an age-dependent response in neonates, adult, and aged people. ROS are generated under hypoxic conditions and the ...

The cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) (CD152) is a basic negative regulatory molecule of T cell activation and its hypo-function is associated with severe lymphoproliferative syndrome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the intracellular and surface expression of CTLA-4 on peripheral T cells before and after T ...

The population of natural killer (NK) cells is very heterogeneous and plays a role in the immune system. Several NK cells subpopulations are recognized, differing in phenotype, cytokine release and cytotoxic ability. Different expression of biologically relevant molecules on the surface of NK cells may indicate their multiple functions. The ...

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a complex disorder initiated by chemical exposure, particularly through the airways. MCS patients report sensitivity or intolerance to low levels of a wide spectrum of chemicals. Symptoms could include asthma-like signs, rhinitis, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, psycho-physiological alteration, and other specific tissue reactions resembling hypoxic and ...

We present a proteomic analysis of the rat carotid body (CB) preparation by comparison between normoxia and hypoxia. Proteomic investigation would be helpful to identify the stress-induced protein during hypoxia and to know what O(2) species are being sensed by CB cells. Adult Wistar rats were used, one group was ...

As inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neonatal meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), anti-inflammatory agents including inhibitors of phosphodiesterases (PDE) are increasingly used in the treatment. To evaluate side effects of PDE inhibitors, this study analyzed changes in blood pressure, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) ...

Vascular immunotargeting of catalase via angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) attenuated lung ischemia reperfusion injury in the rat. As this might be a promising modality for extension of the viability of human lung grafts for transplantation we tested the hypothesis whether anti-ACE antibodies are suitable for human lung protection within the model of ...

Although scleroderma is generally considered a fibrosing disease, it is now recognized that the underlying vascular pathology is playing a fundamental role in its pathogenesis. The present study was aimed at testing the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) in systemic scleroderma (SSc) patients with and without pulmonary hypertension (PH) ...

The dried blood spot (DBS) specimens have been successfully employed for the large-scale diagnostics of α1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency as an easy to collect and transport alternative to plasma/serum. In the present study we propose a fast, efficient, and cost effective protocol of DNA extraction from dried blood spot (DBS) samples ...

Mangiferin, the main active substance of the mango tree bark (Mangifera indica L.), is known for its use in natural medicine, not only as a health enhancing panacea or adjunct therapeutic, but also for brain functions improvement. In this context, we deemed it worthwhile to establish whether mangiferin could traverse ...

Chronic renal failure and dialysis belong to contraindications to vaccination with live vaccines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the humoral response to influenza vaccination consisting of the formation of antibodies against hemagglutinin and neuraminidase in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis due to chronic renal failure. The study included ...

Infectious, genetic factors, and autoimmunity have been considered as potential causes of sarcoidosis (SA). Pathological similarities between SA and tuberculosis (TB) suggest M. tuberculosis antigen(s) as causative agent(s). Our published comparative analysis of the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) system in patients with SA or TB in the same ethnic group ...

Adiponectin plays a protective role against atherosclerosis. Genetic investigation has revealed that G276T adiponectin gene polymorphism is related to adiponectin concentration and metabolic disturbances. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of adiponectin gene G276T polymorphism with indices of atherosclerosis in obese children. We examined 159 ...

Fat mass content, fat distribution, and fat-mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene have been reported among a broad spectrum of genetic variation connected with body weight. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the T/A rs9939609 polymorphism of the FTO gene may influence obesity and metabolic indices in ...

The etiology of inflammatory diseases of the lung like sarcoidosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is multifactorial. The main trigger for developing a COPD is tobacco smoking while exogenous factors causing sarcoidosis are unclear. In both diseases there is an underlying genetic susceptibility determining both the onset and the ...

The role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) is unknown. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a marker of sarcoidosis activity and may modulate angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ACE activity in ILD patients' sera and their effect on microvessels formation ...

Calcium release-activated calcium channels (CRAC) play unambiguous role in secretory functions of mast cells, T cells, and eosinophils. Less knowledge exists about the role of CRAC, widely distributed in airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells, in airway contractility. The presented study seeks to determine the possible participation of CRAC in ASM-based ...

Asthma can be effectively treated with sublingual immunotherapy. The influence of -sublingual immunotherapy on the function of granulocytes in asthmatic patients is largely unknown. Mac-1 integrin is a transmembrane protein containing α (CD11b) and β (CD18) chains. High expression of the complex is found on the surface of neutrophils, NK ...

Ob-R receptor is encoded by db gene and belongs to class I cytokine receptors family. Its expression was observed in hematopoietic CD34+ stem cells, erythropoietic, myeloid and lymphoblastic lineages cell lines and in human leukemic blast cells in lymphomas, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and chronic myeloid ...

Inflammation, oxidation, lung edema, and other factors participate in surfactant dysfunction in meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Therefore, we hypothesized that anti-inflammatory treatment may reverse surfactant dysfunction in the MAS model. Oxygen-ventilated rabbits were given meconium intratracheally (25 mg/ml, 4 ml/kg; Mec) or saline (Sal). Thirty minutes later, meconium-instilled animals were ...

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are enzymes responsible for degradation of cAMP and cGMP in cells. Thus, PDE inhibitors may have significant clinical benefit in respiratory diseases associated with inflammation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of selective PDE4 (rolipram, ROL) and PDE7 inhibitors (BRL50481, BRL) on citric ...

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is responsible for phosphate wasting and the phenotypic changes observed in human diseases such as X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). Targeted overexpression of nuclear high-molecular weight fibroblast growth factor 2 isoforms (HMW isoforms) in osteoblasts resulted in a transgenic mouse with phenotypic changes similar to XLH, including ...

The aim of the study was to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory effects in -experimental allergic asthma of natural polyphenolic compounds or their single major components. The experiment was performed after 21-days sensitization of guinea pigs with ovalbumin suspension. Changes in airway reactivity after the long-term treatment with the polyphenolic compounds ...

Angiogenesis plays important role in tumor growth and development. Protein ligands and their receptor tyrosine kinases are crucial in tumor related angiogenesis. Ligand/receptor systems such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and tyrosine kinase with immunoglobulin-like and epidermal growth factor homology domains (Tie) family play important role in this phenomenon. ...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive airflow limitation and chronic inflammation of airways and lung parenchyma. Our aim was to assess two important elements of intracellular signaling involved in regulation of inflammation in COPD in patients subjected to long-acting beta2-agonist or long-acting beta2-agonist plus long-acting antimuscarinic: peroxisome ...

Guidelines recommend bone density screening with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in women 65 years or older, but <30% of eligible women undergo DXA testing. There is a need to identify a systematic, effective, and generalizable way to improve osteoporosis screening. A group randomized, controlled trial of women ≥65 years old ...

Existing organ weight charts used by pathologists for patients undergoing medical autopsy do not illustrate the effect of obesity and age on organ weights among a general population of older individuals with multiple comorbidities. We retrospectively reviewed 300 medical autopsy reports to extract data to analyze the effect of obesity ...

OPINION STATEMENT: Leptomeningeal metastasis is a serious and frequently fatal complication of non-small cell lung cancer. Curative treatment remains elusive, but careful use of radiation, systemic chemotherapy, intrathecal chemotherapy, and symptoms management can greatly improve quality of life and survival. For most patients, we recommend a combination of skull-based radiation ...

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between Plexiform Neurofibroma (PN) of the eye region and Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). According to the textbooks of ophthalmology, PN and NF1 are very closely linked. Our clinical experience raised doubts about this, however. All biopsy reports from the ...

Rosacea is a significant cause of ocular surface disease, and our current therapeutic armamentarium is often ineffective. Intraductal meibomian gland probing is a novel technique to address dry eye syndrome, although its use has not been described in the management of ocular surface disease from rosacea. Patients with ocular rosacea, ...