Introduction: Ovarian cancer is most frequently detected in the advanced stage. Although its pathogenesis is not fully elucidated, it is assumed that body susceptibility and hormonal disorders are responsible. The role of some cytokines as predictors in the treatment process is still investigated. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship of adiponectin and leptin with the disease severity and response to chemotherapy. Material and methods: Forty-three ovarian cancer patients were treated by systemic treatment. Patients received 5-7 cycles of chemotherapy -paclitaxel/carboplatin with or without bevacizumab. Using standard ELISA kits before and after chemotherapy, adiponectin and leptin concentrations were determined in the blood serum. Results: The average adiponectin concentration before chemotherapy was found to be 8.83 ± 3.19 μg/ml, as compared to 10.37 ± 4.18 μg/ml (increase by 17.44%, p < 0.001) after treatment. Mean pre-treatment leptin concentration was 16.89 ± 15.54 ng /ml, and 21.77 ± 14.69 ng/ml after chemotherapy (increase by 28.89%, p < 0.01). A positive correlation was found between leptin concentration and age and BMI. There was no relationship of the disease severity with the response to treatment and the concentration of the adipokines. The leptin/adiponectin ratio (L/A) before treatment correlated with better response to chemotherapy. Conclusions: Adiponectin and leptin did not correlate with the stage of ovarian cancer and response to chemotherapy. The L/A ratio may be considered a predictor of clinical response to treatment.

Background. Abnormalities in the oxidative and antioxidant states causing oxidative stress were both found in heart failure (HF) of various aetiologies and atherosclerosis. Aim of Study. The goals of the study were as follows: comparison of oxidative stress parameters (OSP) in ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) (n=479) and nonischaemic cardiomyopathy (nICM) (n=295) patients; assessment of the relationships of OSP with functional capacity (NYHA class), maximal oxygen consumption (max.O2), left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), and NT-proBNP concentration; and determination of the mutual relations of OSP in subgroups of patients with ICM and n-ICM. Methods. Serum concentrations of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), uric acid (UA), bilirubin, albumin, protein sulfhydryl groups (PSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. The oxidative stress index (OSI) and MDA/PSH ratio were calculated. Results. Higher concentrations of TAC (1.14 vs 1.11 mmol/l; p<0.001) and MDA (1.80 vs 1.70 μmol/l; p<0.05) and higher MDA/PSH ratios (0.435 vs 0.358; p<0,001) were observed in ICM than in nICM patients. Simultaneously, lower values of the OSI index (4.27 vs 4.6; p<0,05), PSH (4.10 vs 4.75 μmol/g of protein; p<0,001), and bilirubin (12.70 vs 15.40 μmol/l; p<0,001) concentrations were indicated in ICM patients. There were no differences in TOS, UA, and albumin between the examined groups. The NYHA class and VO2max correlate with MDA, bilirubin, and albumin in both groups, while with UA only in the ICM group. Correlations between the NYHA class, VO2max, and PSH were indicated in nICM. The association of LVEF with UA, bilirubin, and albumin has been demonstrated in the ICM group. The study showed negative correlations between TAC, MDA, and PSH and positive between TAC and MDA in both groups. In ICM patients, MDA positively correlated with UA. A negative correlation between PSH and concentrations of UA and bilirubin was expressed only in the nICM group. Conclusion. The obtained results confirm the relationship between the severity of HF and oxidative stress. The mechanisms of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence are partially different in the ICM and the nICM patients.

The present study was designed to investigate the role of postnatal fluoride intake on [3H]glucose uptake and transport in rat brain and peripheral tissues. Sodium fluoride (NaF) in a concentration of 10 or 50 ppm was added to the drinking water of adult Wistar rats. The control group received distilled water. After 4 weeks, respective plasma fluoride levels were 0.0541 ± 0.0135 μg/ml (control), 0.0596 ± 0.0202 μg/ml (10 ppm), and 0.0823 ± 0.0199 μg/ml (50 ppm). Although plasma glucose levels were not altered in any group, the plasma insulin level in the fluoride (50 ppm) group was elevated (0.72 ± 0.13 μg/ml) versus the control group (0.48 ± 0.24 μg/ml) and fluoride (10 ppm) group. In rats receiving fluoride for 4 weeks at 10 ppm in drinking water, [3H]glucose uptake was unaltered in all tested parts of the brain. However, in rats receiving fluoride at 50 ppm, [3H]glucose uptake in cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus with hypothalamus was elevated, versus the saline group. Fluoride intake had a negligible effect on [3H]glucose uptake by peripheral tissues (liver, pancreas, stomach, small intestine, atrium, aorta, kidney, visceral tissue, lung, skin, oral mucosa, tongue, salivary gland, incisor, molars, and jawbone). In neither fluoride group was glucose transporter proteins 1 (GLUT 1) or 3 (GLUT 3) altered in frontal cortex and striatum versus control. On the assumption that increased glucose uptake (by neural tissue) reasonably reflects neuronal activity, it appears that fluoride damage to the brain results in a compensatory increase in glucose uptake and utilization without changes in GLUT 1 and GLUT 3 expression.

IntroductionThe public health crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of both individuals and entire populations. The source of stress was not only the fear of getting sick, but also the restrictions introduced, such as: mass lockdown, the need to maintain social distance, quarantine or the mandatory use of personal protective equipment. Their introduction and maintenance caused various emotional reactions which often resulted in undesirable behavior leading to infections spreading.The aim of the studyThe aim of the study was to analyze the level of emotional control depending on selected factors related to the pandemic and the introduced restrictions.Materials and methodsThe study covered 594 adult Poles. To evaluate knowledge about COVID-19 and attitudes toward the implemented restrictions, the questionnaire prepared by the authors was used. To determine the level of control of anger, depression and anxiety the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS) was used, and to estimate the level of perceived stress the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was applied.ResultsIn the entire analyzed group, the general level of emotional control was 51.82 ± 12.26, with anxiety being the most suppressed emotion (17.95 ± 4.99), whereas the least suppressed emotion was anger (16.35 ± 5.15). The average stress level in the studied group was 20.5 ± 5.3. The level of perceived stress did not differentiate the level of emotional control. It was found that the higher level of the knowledge about the pandemic and methods of prevention, the higher emotional control, especially in the anxiety subscale (high level of knowledge – 18.26 ± 5.36 vs. low level of knowledge - 15.09 ± 3.6; p = 0.02). People reporting difficulties in reconciling remote work with home duties were less able to control anger (14.63 ± 4.98) than people without such problems (16.71 ± 4.12; p = 0.007).ConclusionProper education improving knowledge about COVID-19 and methods of prevention may enhance the control of emotions in the population. Possible future preventive measures aimed at limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections or other infectious diseases should also take into account possible excessive mental burden caused by private and professional duties.

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Higher serum phosphorus has detrimental health effects. Even high-normal rage sP is associated with worse outcomes. The relationship of serum phosphorus with prognostic markers in heart failure remains unclear. We investigated the association of serum phosphorus with heart failure prognostic factors and risk of mortality related to serum phosphorus. In 1029 stable heart failure patients, we investigated the distribution of markers of more advanced heart failure stage across quintiles of serum phosphorus and estimated the relative risk of mortality in comparison to reference. Higher serum phosphorus levels sP were associated with markers of a worse outcome. The best survival was observed in low-normal serum levels. The unadjusted hazard ratio for mortality increased toward higher phosphorus quintiles but not to lower levels of sP. The correction for age, sex, BMI, percent weight loss, inflammation, kidney function, and LVEF did not modify the risk profile substantially. The adjustment for NYHA, natriuretic peptides, serum sodium, and treatment characteristics broke down the risk relationship completely. A higher serum phosphorus is associated with markers of a more risky profile of heart failure. Elevated serum levels of phosphorus sP does not provide independent prognostic information beyond the strongest markers of the severity of the syndrome. The potential involvement of higher serum phosphorus as a mediator in the pathophysiology of heart failure warrants further study.

Wprowadzenie i cel pracy. Światowa epidemia otyłości przyczyniła się do rozwoju badań mających na celu dokładne poznanie budowy i zrozumienie procesów zachodzących w tkance tłuszczowej, której nadmiar jest głównym wyznacznikiem tej choroby. Obecnie wiadomo, że tkanka tłuszczowa dzięki wytwarzanym adipokinom może być jedną z przyczyn zaburzeń związanych z otyłością. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie budowy i funkcji tkanki tłuszczowej, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem jej aktywności hormonalnej. Skrócony opis stanu wiedzy. Adipokiny wytwarzane przez tkankę tłuszczową działają nie tylko lokalnie (autokrynnie i parakrynnie), ale także na narządy odległe (działanie endokrynne). Regulują one metabolizm komórkowy, angiogenezę, ciśnienie krwi, procesy immunologiczne i zapalne, utrzymują równowagę energetyczną czy też odpowiadają za uczucie łaknienia i procesy związane z płodnością. Obecnie zidentyfikowano kilkaset adipokin, zróżnicowanych zarówno pod względem budowy, jak i pełnionej funkcji. W pracy opisano wybrane adipokiny o szczególnym znaczeniu dla organizmu. Podsumowanie. Tkanka tłuszczowa wpływa na funkcjonowanie całego organizmu i może odgrywać fundamentalną rolę w rozwoju wielu chorób, zwłaszcza metabolicznych. Biorąc pod uwagę szerokie spektrum działania adipokin, należy stwierdzić, że szczególnie ważne staje się dokładne poznanie wpływu tych związków na procesy życiowe, co w przyszłości może umożliwić ich zastosowanie kliniczne w farmakoterapii czy w diagnostyce chorób.

INTRODUCTION: The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein belonging to neurotrophins that plays a key role in the proper development and functioning of the mammalian central nervous system. Previous studies have focused on assessment of the BDNF concentration in blood serum as a potential biomarker in neurological disorders. Recently, the BDNF signalling pathway has been recognised as a potential target for anticancer drugs, while its receptor (TrkB) as an oncogene in colorectal cancer cells. Despite the significant role in carcinogenesis, there are few studies on BDNF as a biomarker in colorectal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 25 patients with clinically and histopathologically confirmed colorectal cancer, who were qualified for treatment. Prior to the first administration of chemotherapy, venous blood samples were collected from the patients and the biochemical parameters routinely determined prior to treatment were evaluated. Additionally, the serum BDNF concentration was determined by the immunoenzymatic method in all the patients. RESULTS: The serum BDNF concentration in patients was 50.24 ± 23.37 ng/ml. The BDNF concentration did not differ significantly between women and men. A negative correlation was found between the BDNF and CRP concentration and the BDNF and LDH concentration. The BDNF levels were significantly higher in patients who underwent primary tumour resection before chemotherapy. There was no correlation between the BDNF concentration and age, gender, BMI, CEA marker and liver enzymes in patients with colorectal cancer. There was no correlation between the BDNF concentration and clinical response to the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: BDNF cannot be considered as a prognostic factor in patients with colorectal cancer.