Effect of Global Brain Ischemia on Amyloid Precursor Protein Metabolism and Expression of Amyloid-Degrading Enzymes in Rat Cortex: Role in Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease.

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases significantly following chronic stress and brain ischemia which, over the years, cause accumulation of toxic amyloid species and brain damage. The effects of global 15-min ischemia and 120-min reperfusion on the levels of expression of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its processing were investigated in the brain cortex (Cx) of male Wistar rats. Additionally, the levels of expression of the amyloid-degrading enzymes neprilysin (NEP), endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), and insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), as well as of some markers of oxidative damage were assessed.

The value of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) as a serum tumor marker for accurate bone metastases finding by whole-body bone scintigraphy in lung cancer patients.

The aim of our study was to correlate the serum concentration of human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in lung cancer patients with the bone metastases detected by whole-body bone scintigraphy. The serum concentrations of HE4 were determined by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method in 60 patients with lung cancer and in 10 persons without malignant disease (control group). All participants were examined by whole-body bone scintigraphy with hybrid gamma camera of type BrightView XCT.

The Role of Interleukin-6 Polymorphism (rs1800795) in Prostate Cancer Development and Progression.

Background/aim: Interleukin-6 is an important modulator of inflammation, which is one of the factors involved in prostate cancer. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible association of the IL-6 -174 polymorphism (rs1800795) with the risk of prostate cancer development and progression.

Materials And Methods: The study population consisted of 446 prostate cancer patients, 377 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP) patients and 276 healthy men.

Oxidative Stress and Bronchial Asthma in Children-Causes or Consequences?

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways. In the pathogenesis of this disease, the interplay among the genes, intrinsic, and extrinsic factors are crucial. Various combinations of the involved factors determine and modify the final clinical phenotype/endotype of asthma.

Association of Gene Polymorphisms in Interleukin 6 in Infantile Bronchial Asthma.

Introduction: The genetic background of bronchial asthma is complex, and it is likely that multiple genes contribute to its development both directly and through gene-gene interactions. Cytokines contribute to different aspects of asthma, as they determine the type, severity and outcomes of asthma pathogenesis. Allergic asthmatics undergoing an asthmatic attack exhibit significantly higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukins and chemokines.

[Factors modifying cord blood IgE levels - a pilot study].

Aim: The complex influence of internal and external environmental factors on the individual and his/her immune system and the lack of suitable markers to assess and reduce the risk of the development of allergies during the lifetime can explain the continuous increase in the number of people affected by some form of allergy. According to the results of some studies, cord blood IgE level could be a useful early marker for assessing the risk of atopic diseases, but the studies showed controversial results. In addition, several authors discuss the origin of these antibodies (synthesis in utero, peripartum contamination from maternal blood or placental transfer).

Association between interleukin-18 variants and prostate cancer in Slovak population.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays important role in antitumor immunity. Polymorphisms in the IL-18 gene may lead to its altered production/activity and such modulate susceptibility to prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the -607 and +105 polymorphisms in the IL-18 gene and the risk of prostate cancer development and progression in Slovak population.

Bone Metabolism of the Patient with a Malignant Melanoma during the Entry Examination and the Check-up of Whole-body Bone Scintigraphy.

Malignant melanoma is a malignancy located predominantly in the skin and the incidence of melanoma increases. We compared the markers of bone metabolism - osteocalcin (OC), beta-carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CrossLaps, β-CTx) and tumour marker - human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the serum with finding during the entry examination and the check-up of whole-body bone scintigraphy of the patient with a malignant melanoma. Serum concentrations of OC, β-CTx, HE4 were determined in 1 patient (female, age 64 years) with malignant melanoma and correlated with the presence of equivocal bone metastases detected by whole-body bone scintigraphy (the entry examination and check-up after 6 months).

DNA Methylation Machinery in the Endometrium and Endometrial Cancer.

During the normal menstrual cycle, endometrial tissue undergoes many biochemical and morphological changes which are under the control of steroid hormone levels. DNA methylation plays a key role in gene expression regulation and influences functional changes in endometrial tissue. Eliminating senescent cells from the functional layer of the endometrium is mediated by apoptotic cell death, which helps maintain cellular homeostasis.

Estrogen receptor alpha polymorphisms and the risk of prostate cancer development.

Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of two polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor alpha, rs2077647 and rs3798577, on the development of prostate cancer, their correlation with selected clinical characteristics, as well as consideration of potential interactions between four estrogen receptor alpha polymorphisms (rs2077647, rs3798577, PvuII, XbaI).

Methods: The study was performed using 395 patients with histologically verified prostate cancer and 253 healthy male controls.

Results: The CC genotype of rs2077647 was significantly associated with prostate cancer (OR = 1.

[The possibility of the serum concentration of osteocalcin determination in lung cancer patients with suspected bone metastases].

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare serum levels of biochemical markers of bone metabolism - osteocalcin (OC) in correlation with bone metastases found during whole-body bone scintigraphy in patients with lung cancer.

Material And Methods: The serum levels of OC as a bone formation marker were determined in 60 patients (46 male, 14 female, mean age 66.65, range 50-84 years) with lung cancer (51 non-small-cell lung cancers - NSCLC and nine small-cell lung cancers - SCLC) and correlated with the presence of bone metastases detected by whole-body bone scintigraphy (hybrid system SPECT/CT: BrightView XCT, Philips Healthcare).

Pulmonary manifestations of primary immunodeficiency disorders in children.

Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are inherited disorders in which one or several components of immune system are decreased, missing, or of non-appropriate function. These diseases affect the development, function, or morphology of the immune system. The group of PID comprises more than 200 different disorders and syndromes and the number of newly recognized and revealed deficiencies is still increasing.

Factors influencing the levels of exhaled carbon monoxide in asthmatic children.

Objective: Bronchial asthma is characterised by chronic airway inflammation commonly associated with increased oxidative stress. Exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) levels could act as markers of both oxidative stress and allergic inflammation. We aimed to study eCO levels in asthmatics and detect the possible factors influencing them.

Val66Met polymorphism in the BDNF gene in children with bronchial asthma.

Objectives: Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by airway inflammation. There is increasing evidence that neurotrophins play an important role in the development and maintenance of neurogenic airway inflammation in chronic allergic diseases.

Working Hypothesis: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family and has several important functions in the airways.

The association between gene polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase T1/M1 and type 1 diabetes in Slovak children and adolescents.

Background: Considering a dramatic increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) worldwide, current research focuses on complex etiology of T1D where immune system, environmental and genetic factors play a significant role. Glutathione S-transferase family of enzymes protects tissue from oxidative damage which is discussed in the context of T1D. The aim of the study was to investigate an association of glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GST M1) and glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GST T1) polymorphisms with type 1 diabetes.

Frequency of polymorphism -262 c/t in catalase gene and oxidative damage in Slovak children with bronchial asthma.

Introduction: Bronchial asthma is a complex disease in which genetic factors, environmental factors and oxidative damage are responsible for the initiation and modulation of disease progression. If antioxidant mechanisms fail, reactive oxygen species damage the biomolecules followed by progression of the disease. Catalase is one of the most important endogenous enzymatic antioxidants.

Analysis of genetic polymorphisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in depressed patients in a Slovak (Caucasian) population.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder where both gene-gene and gene-environment interactions play an important role, but the clues are still not fully understood. One carbon metabolism in the CNS plays a critical role in the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters which are relevant to depressive disorder. We studied genetic polymorphisms of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) in association with major depressive disorder.

The association between glutathione S-transferase T1 and M1 gene polymorphisms and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in Slovak adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST), as antioxidant enzyme, protects tissue from oxidative damage typical for many pathologic conditions as type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its chronic complications. The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of GST T1/M1 gene polymorphisms between diabetic adolescents with (CAN+) and without (CAN-) cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy. Forty-six subjects with T1D at the age 15-19 years were enrolled.

Age-associated changes in Ca(2+)-ATPase and oxidative damage in sarcoplasmic reticulum of rat heart.

Altered Ca(2+) handling may be responsible for the development of cardiac contractile dysfunctions with advanced age. In the present study, we investigated the roles of oxidative damage to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and expression of Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA 2a) and phospholamban in age-associated dysfunction of cardiac SR. SR vesicles were prepared from hearts of 2-, 6-, 15-, and 26-month-old Wistar rats.

Factors attributable to the level of exhaled nitric oxide in asthmatic children.

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with variable symptoms especially in children. Exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has proved to be a marker of inflammation in the airways and has become a substantial part of clinical management of asthmatic children due to its potential to predict possible exacerbation and adjust the dose of inhalant corticosteroids.

Objectives: We analyzed potential factors that contribute to the variability of nitric oxide in various clinical and laboratory conditions.

Oxidative stress induced in rat brain by a combination of 3-nitropropionic acid and global ischemia.

In our investigation, we describe the complex model of brain oxidative stress consisted of combination of experimental brain ischemia and energy metabolism violation induced by irreversible inhibitor of mitochondrial succi-nate dehydrogenase, 3-nitropropionate (3-NPA). 3-NPA causes selective degeneration of striatum neurons, which is extremely sensitive to energy deficit. This complex model allows revealing not only biochemical but also neurological symptoms in experimental animals that permits proper estimation of protective effect of different drugs on animal status.

Cough reflex sensitivity in various phenotypes of childhood asthma.

Cough is a major symptom in some children with asthma, but the relationship between cough and the severity of asthma is defined insufficiently. As cough represents common problem of pediatrics, several objective methods for its assessment were developed. Cough reflex sensitivity (CRS) test with capsaicin is one of the most important tools for studying cough.

Association of oxidative stress and GST-T1 gene with childhood bronchial asthma.

There is increasing evidence that bronchial asthma is associated with increased oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species are produced in each organism as by-products of several essential reactions and can damage biomolecules. Asthma is a complex chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, with many candidate genes suspected as being important in its development.

Myocardial Ca2+ handling and cell-to-cell coupling, key factors in prevention of sudden cardiac death.

Using whole-heart preparations, we tested our hypothesis that Ca(2+) handling is closely related to cell-to-cell coupling at the gap junctions and that both are critical for the development and particularly the termination of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and hence the prevention of sudden arrhythmic death. Intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), ECG, and left ventricular pressure were continuously monitored in isolated guinea pig hearts before and during development of low K(+)-induced sustained VF and during its conversion into sinus rhythm facilitated by stobadine. We also examined myocardial ultrastructure to detect cell-to-cell coupling alterations.

Food allergens and respiratory symptoms.

Food allergy may be clinically expressed by a variety of respiratory symptoms, which can be provoked either by IgE- or cellular mediated reactions. Among the diagnostic procedures, newly introduced atopy patch test seems to be important for diagnosis of cellular, delayed immune reactions. We studied the prevalence of positive atopy patch tests with food and inhalant allergens and the correlation between the positivity of atopy patch tests and questionnaire derived atopic and nonatopic espiratory symptoms and diseases in an unselected children population.