Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a subject of ongoing scientific, political and social discussions in Member States of the European Union (EU) concerning their use, benefits, risks, safety and limitations. EU societies have every right to substantive information and education in biotechnology, yet they appear to be misinformed by contradictory views and sensationalism. The present study investigated the level of knowledge and the attitude of citizens of Poland (n = 1021) towards the various uses of GMOs. As found, the use of GMOs in medicine and pharmacy received slight approval from the surveyed group, and was generally perceived as the greatest benefit of GMOs. In contrast, most respondents were against the production and distribution of GM food products on the Polish market or at least favoured the labelling of any product that contains a GM component. The majority of individuals who were willing to accept GM foods also demanded their labelling. The studied group revealed various concerns related to the safety of GM foods, particularly their potential effect on health and the environment. Generally, the greatest scepticism towards GMOs and GM foods was expressed by farmers, medical workers and school teachers while the greatest enthusiasm was shown by students of medical and life sciences, and researchers/academicians. Importantly, most of those taking part in the survey admitted that their knowledge of GMOs was insufficient, expressed a willingness to improve it, and expected school teachers, academicians and researchers to be actively involved in this process. In conclusion, the present study underlines the urgent need to implement evidence-based educational programmes so as to raise the public understanding of the current possibilities and limitations of GMO-based technology in Poland.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) encompasses endocrine, reproductive and metabolic disturbances. Abdominal pain and bowel movement disturbances are common complaints of PCOS patients. It remains uncertain whether the characteristic features of PCOS are associated with an increased incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: 133 patients with PCOS diagnosed according to international evidence-based guidelines and 72 age- and BMI-matched eumenorrheic controls were enrolled to the study. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical and hormonal characteristics were collected. The Rome IV criteria were used for IBS diagnosis. Quality of life(QoL) and depressive symptoms were also assessed. Results: IBS symptom prevalence in PCOS was not significantly different than in controls. Hyperandrogenism, simple and visceral obesity did not appear to affect IBS prevalence in PCOS. There were no anthropometric, hormonal or biochemical differences between IBS-PCOS and non-IBS-PCOS patients, apart from IBS-PCOS patients being slightly older and having lower TSH. Metabolic syndrome (MS) prevalence was higher in IBS-PCOS than non-IBS-PCOS. QoL appears to be significantly lower in IBS-PCOS compared to PCOS-only patients. The occurrence of depression was higher in IBS-PCOS vs. non-IBS-PCOS patients. At least one alarm symptom was reported by 87.5% of IBS-PCOS; overall, this group experienced more alarm symptoms than the IBS-only group. Conclusions: As a link between PCOS and IBS comorbidity and increased MS prevalence was noted, patients presenting with both conditions may benefit from early MS diagnostics, and management. The high incidence of alarm symptoms in PCOS women in this study highlights the need for differential diagnosis of organic diseases that could mimic IBS symptoms.

HsCRP might be a useful diagnostic marker in differentiating active IBD from other diseases. Particularly important however seems to be the predictive value of hsCRP at diagnosis in prognosing the clinical outcome of the disease in CD patients.

Introduction. Selected dietary components are crucial for a properly functioning thyroid gland. Therefore a healthy and balanced diet is  crucial for treating patients with Hashimoto's disease. Aim. This study aims to evaluate the dietary habits of women suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis. Material and methods. A questionnaire study was conducted in a group of 58 women with Hashimoto's disease and among 42 women without autoimmune thyroiditis using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ-6). To assess compliance with the normal distribution, we used the Shapiro-Wilk test. The comparative assessment was made using the Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney test. The Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between the response and the group. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results. The study showed no significant differences in dietary habits between the two groups. Only 29% (n=15) of women with HT declared daily consumption of fruits vs 31% (n=12) in the control group (p=0.3800), and only 2% (n=1) declared consuming berries daily vs. 5% (n=2), (p=0.5270). The consumption of the recommended several portions of vegetables per day was declared by only 22% (n=11) of women with HT vs 28% (n=11) in the control group (p=0.3983). 42% (n=24) of women with HT vs 38.5% (n=16) of controls reported eating cruciferous vegetables several times a week (p=0.8241). 14% (n=8) of women with HT vs 19% (n=8) of women in the control group declared daily consumption of green leafy vegetables (p=0.3653). Most people in the study group consume nuts and seeds several times a month, and those in the control group several times a week. Most HT respondents also declare not to consume the recommended amount of fish. Conclusions. The diet of patients with Hashimoto's disease does not differ significantly from that of non-Hashimoto's disease patients. Considering the study results and current scientific knowledge, it seems necessary to undertake educational activities for patients with Hashimoto's disease to increase patient awareness of the impact of diet on the course of the disease.