Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile ) is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus, which is widely distributed in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and in the environment. In the last decade, the frequency and severity of C. difficile infection has been increasing worldwide to become one of the most common hospital-acquired infections. Transmission of this pathogen occurs by the fecal-oral route and the most important risk factors include antibiotic therapy, old age, and hospital or nursing home stay. The clinical picture is diverse and ranges from asymptomatic carrier status, through various degrees of diarrhea, to the most severe, life threatening colitis resulting with death. Diagnosis is based on direct detection of C. difficile toxins in feces, most commonly with the use of EIA assay, but no single test is suitable as a stand-alone test confirming CDI. Antibiotics of choice are vancomycin, fidaxomicin, and metronidazole, though metronidazole is considered as inferior. The goal of this review is to update physicians on current scientific knowledge of C. difficile infection, focusing also on fecal microbiota transplantation which is a promising therapy.

Lyme disease is a multi-organ animal-borne disease, caused by spirochetes of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which typically affect the skin, nervous system, musculoskeletal system and heart. A history of confirmed exposure to tick bites, typical signs and symptoms of Lyme borreliosis and positive tests for anti-Bb antibodies, are the basis of a diagnosis. A two-step diagnosis is necessary: the first step is based on a high sensitivity ELISA test with positive results confirmed by a more specific Western blot assay. Antibiotic therapy is curative in most cases, but some patients develop chronic symptoms, which do not respond to antibiotics. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of the symptoms, clinical diagnosis and treatment of Lyme borreliosis.

Epidemio logicaldata According to World Health Organization data, 3% of the human population, i.e. approximately 170 million people, is infected with HCV. The prevalence of HCV chronic infection is 0.1% to 26% and varies in different regions. 1,4 The prevalence of HCV infection in Eastern Europe is about 0.7-4.9%. 2 In Poland, the percentage of people in whom anti-HCV antibodies have been detected is about 1.4%, which amounts to approximately 500,000 people. According to the most recent data, this number is underestimated, and the presumed number of the infected persons is over 750,000.

Eighteen male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups of 6 animals each. Two groups received different intraperitoneal doses of TCDD (0.75 and 8Fg) in DMSO solution and the third group (control) received only DMSO on days 0, 7 and 14. On day 21 the animals were sacrificed, and then blood tests, pathological examination and CYP1A1 activity measurement were performed. In rats that received a high dose of dioxin (8 Fg) hepatic lobules revealed parenchymal degeneration and vacuolization of hepatocytes was observed, and also an increased CYP reaction was found in central parts of lobules, around the central vein. The reaction in control and low dose groups was weak. The resorufin level was significantly (P<0.05) higher in the group receiving a low dose of dioxin as compared to the control group. The study confirmed that TCDD damages the rat liver in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of high TCDD doses causing major liver damage also damaged CYP1A1 (based on higher resorufin levels in epiluminescence). TCDD activates CYP1A1, which was confirmed by increased immunohistochemical reactivity of central areas of hepatic lobules.

We aimed to describe the clinical presentation, treatment, outcome and report on factors associated with mortality over a 90-day period in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were performed on data collected in a retrospective case-control study conducted in nine hospitals from seven European countries. A total of 624 patients were included, of which 415 were deceased (cases) and 209 were still alive 90 days after a CDI diagnosis (controls). The most common antibiotics used previously in both groups were β-lactams; previous exposure to fluoroquinolones was significantly (p = 0.0004) greater in deceased patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the factors independently related with death during CDI were older age, inadequate CDI therapy, cachexia, malignancy, Charlson Index, long-term care, elevated white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), bacteraemia, complications, and cognitive impairment. In addition, older age, higher levels of WBC, neutrophil, CRP or creatinine, the presence of malignancy, cognitive impairment, and complications were strongly correlated with shortening the time from CDI diagnosis to death. CDI prevention should be primarily focused on hospitalised elderly people receiving antibiotics. WBC, neutrophil count, CRP, creatinine, albumin and lactate levels should be tested in every hospitalised patient treated for CDI to assess the risk of a fatal outcome.