Impacts of a Re-designed Care Path for Back Pain Directing Patients to Physiotherapists: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

Objective: To evaluate impact of directing patients with back pain for first visit to a physiotherapist on sick leaves, healthcare utilization, and patient satisfaction.

Methods: Pre-post intervention study of 70,138 patients treated in Poland for back pain: 27,034 before the care pathway redesign and 43,104 after.

Results: After the redesign, all per-patient measures (mean ± SD) significantly decreased over the 12-month follow-up: sick leaves number from 0.

Evidence-Based Care Reduces Unnecessary Medical Procedures and Healthcare Costs in the Outpatient Setting.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the number of unnecessary medical procedures and healthcare costs with the use of the educational intervention in Poland.

Methods: Secondary data were collected between 2014 and 2015. Analysis of events and cost per patient revealed significant variability and overutilization of diagnostics and other services by physicians practicing in a network of private outpatient clinics in Poland.

Immunity to hepatitis A virus among working professionals in Poland - Results of a 3-year serological survey 2013-2015.

Introduction: Hepatitis A (HA) is caused by infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The differential etiological diagnosis of acute hepatitis is based on a positive result of the serological test detecting IgM class anti-HAV. For epidemiological studies on past infection and seroprevalence of HAV in populations, the tests measuring IgG class anti-HAV or total anti-HAV are used.

Clinical Applicability of Whole-Exome Sequencing Exemplified by a Study in Young Adults with the Advanced Cryptogenic Cholestatic Liver Diseases.

Background: The proper use of new medical tests in clinical practice requires the establishment of their value and range of diagnostic usefulness. While whole-exome sequencing (WES) has already entered the medical practice, recognizing its diagnostic usefulness in multifactorial diseases has not yet been achieved.

Aims: The objective of this study was to establish usability of WES in determining genetic background of chronic cholestatic liver disease (CLD) in young patients.

Anti-hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in the working age population in Poland, 2004 to 2014.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a serious public health concern and one of the major public health priorities. In 2005, it was estimated that there are 185 million anti-HCV positive people in the world, which constitutes 2.8% of the global population.

Liver steatosis in children with chronic hepatitis B and C: Prevalence, predictors, and impact on disease progression.

Only scarce data on liver steatosis in children with chronic hepatitis B and C (CHB and CHC) are available. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, predictors, and impact of hepatic steatosis on children with CHB and CHC. A total of 78 patients aged 11.

A novel approach to genome-wide association analysis identifies genetic associations with primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis in Polish patients.

Background: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are forms of hepatic autoimmunity, and risk for both diseases has a strong genetic component. This study aimed to define the genetic architecture of PBC and PSC within the Polish population.

Methods: Subjects were 443 women with PBC, 120 patients with PSC, and 934 healthy controls recruited from Gastroenterology Departments in various Polish hospitals.

Predictors of Liver Disease Severity in Children with Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background: Evaluation of the liver histology is essential for the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in children.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the histopathological features in children with CHB and compare them with clinical and laboratory data.

Material And Methods: The study comprised 30 treatment-naïve children (mean age: 12.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection in pregnant women in the healthcare system in Poland: Is it worth the effort?

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is globally recognized as a serious public health concern. Current statistics indicate that approximately 2% of people worldwide and 1.9% of people in Poland suffer from HCV infection.

Assessment of pain, acceptance of illness, adjustment to life with cancer, and coping strategies in colorectal cancer patients.

Introduction: Every year more than 15,000 newly diagnosed cases of colorectal carcinoma are recorded in Poland.

Aim: The objective of the study was an assessment of coping strategies and pain management, acceptance of illness, and adjustment to cancer in patients diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma. The analysis was extended to include the effect of socioeconomic variables on the above-mentioned issues.

Determinants of liver disease progression in children with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Histopathological features and determinants of liver disease progression were analyzed in 42 treatment-naïve children (mean age: 10.7 ±3.7) with chronic hepatitis C (14/42 infected vertically and 26/42 horizontally).

The influence of hepatitis B and C virus coinfection on liver histopathology in children.

The influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection on liver histology in children remains unknown. We analyzed histopathological features in 70 treatment-naïve children: 10 with HBV/HCV coinfection (case group A), 30 with HBV (control group B), and 30 with HCV (control group C). Liver biopsies were scored for grading and staging according to Knodell's modified system and were tested for an association with demographic and laboratory data.

Peginterferon alfa-2a and peginterferon alfa-2b combined with ribavirin in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C: results of a prospective single-centre study.

Purpose: This prospective, randomized, single-centre study compared peginterferons alfa-2a and alfa-2b, combined with ribavirin, in treating patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1.

Material/methods: Hundred-and-one patients received 48 weeks of open-label treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a (180 μg/week) and 111 patients received peginterferon alfa-2b (1.5 μg/kg/week).

Extracellular matrix and cytochrome P450 gene expression can distinguish steatohepatitis from steatosis in mice.

One of the main questions regarding nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the molecular background of the transition from simple steatosis (SS) to the inflammatory and fibrogenic condition of steatohepatitis (NASH). We examined the gene expression changes during progression from histologically normal liver to SS and NASH in models of obesity caused by hyperphagia or a high-fat diet. Microarray-based analysis revealed that the expression of 1445 and 264 probe sets was changed exclusively in SS and NASH samples, respectively, and 1577 probe sets were commonly altered in SS and NASH samples.

Laboratory-based scoring system for prediction of hepatic inflammatory activity in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Background & Aims: In autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), inflammation is closely related to fibrosis. Although transaminase levels are commonly used to assess hepatic inflammation, they may not relate directly to the histology. We developed a noninvasive diagnostic score as an alternative to liver biopsy to help optimize treatment for AIH and monitor disease progress.

[Study on engagement in health promotion at the workplace of non-public health providers in Poland].

Unlabelled: Increasing life expectancy in Europe impose a necessity to extend a work ability span. Appropriate health status of working population requires not merely curative care in case of diagnosed diseases but also comprehensive preventive care.

Aim: The article provides results of a study on engagement of the Polish companies that are covered by a private employee health plans in certain workplace health promotion activities.

Composition of inflammatory infiltrate and its correlation with HBV/HCV antigen expression.

Aim: To study the composition of liver inflammatory infiltrate in biopsy material from patients chronically infected with hepatotropic viruses and to evaluate the correlation of inflammatory infiltrate with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral antigen expression in chronic B and C hepatitis.

Methods: The phenotype of inflammatory cells was evaluated by the EnVision system, using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. HBV and HCV antigens were detected with the use of monoclonal anti-HBs, polyclonal anti-HBc and anti-HCV antibodies, respectively.

[Comparison of early virologic response among patients with chronic hepatitis C infected with genotype non 2/3 treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2B and ribavirin in dependence with hepatic fibrosis stages].

Early virologic response (EVR) depending on various hepatic fibrosis was analyzed at 12 week of pegylated interferon alfa-2b (Pegintron, 12 KD) with ribavirin treatment among chronic hepatitis C patients (pts) infected with genotype non 2/3. The A group composed 29 pts. They were of staging 0 and grading 1.

Expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins can distinguish nonalcoholic steatosis from steatohepatitis.

In patients without substantial alcohol use, triglyceride accumulation in the liver can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that may progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The differential diagnosis between NAFLD and NASH can be accomplished only by morphological examination. Although the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and the progression of liver pathologic changes has been described, the exact mechanisms initiating primary liver steatosis and its progression to NASH are unknown.

Histopathological evaluation of liver biopsy specimens in children with chronic hepatitis B.

Introduction: Histopathological evaluation of the liver remains important diagnostic tool.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess inflammatory activity, fibrosis and their correlation to the expression of viral antigens in the liver of children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) before antiviral treatment.

Material And Methods: The study included 190 liver biopsies of children aged 1.

[Epidemic outbreak of acute hepatitis C--clinical course, histology and effectiveness of therapy].

An epidemic outbreak of HCV infection was observed in the center of nonconventional therapy, when patients with stable coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis obliterans were treated. They received drop infusions with chelate therapy with unknown medicine. We diagnosed acute hepatitis C in 15 patients (mean age 61).

[Effect of high-fat diet, rosiglitazone on lipid profile, insulin resistance and liver steatosis development].

Unlabelled: The effect of diet on the development of liver steatosis is a rarely analyzed problem. No effective methods of treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis have been developed, either. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of high-fat diet and rosiglitazone administration on (1) lipid parameters in the serum, (2) insulin resistance and (3) development of liver steatosis.