Discovering the mechanisms of strain-dependent response of Staphylococcus aureus to photoinactivation: oxidative stress toleration, endogenous porphyrin level and strain's virulence.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is generally known to be susceptible to photoinactivation. However, the phenomenon of its strain-dependent response to photodynamic treatment has been reported. Moreover, the factors determining the emerging variation among strains according to photoinactivation remain unclear.

Control of negative emotions and its implication for illness perception among psoriasis and vitiligo patients.

Background: The purpose of the study was to determine the intensity of control over negative emotions of anger, depressed mood, and anxiety in certain skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo, and to define the predictors of this emotional control in terms of the illness perception in the following context: duration of illness, age at onset, subjective knowledge of the causes of illness, subjective sense of control over the disease.

Methods: The study included 60 patients with psoriasis (n = 30) and vitiligo (n = 30) as well as healthy persons (n = 60) matched to the experimental group in terms of gender, age, and level of education. Control of negative emotions was examined by means of Watson and Greer's Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (Polish adaptation by Juczynski) and the illness perception by means of Kossakowska's Chronic Patients Questionnaire.

Quality of life improvement after videothoracoscopic splanchnicectomy in chronic pancreatitis patients: case control study.

The authors report on the effectiveness of videothoracoscopic splanchnicectomy (VSPL) as a method of pain treatment in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). A minimally invasive technique, VSPL is used in CP as an alternative method of pain treatment. The aim of the investigation was to evaluate by a prospective, semirandomized case-control study the influence of VSPL on the quality of life and the level of pain suffered by patients with CP.

The antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive activity of HEPIDA-Ca and HEPIDA-Zn complex compounds.

The authors investigated the immunological and pharmacological activity of N-/2, 4-dimethylacetanilido/iminodiacetic complex compounds with calcium and zinc (HEPIDA-Ca and HEPIDA-Zn). An antiinflammatory, therapeutic effect of these compounds and also an immunosuppressive action were observed. Both complex compounds inhibited the GvH reaction in rats and attenuated the transplantation barrier.

Studies on the influence of cysteine derivatives on the cell-mediated immunity.

The study concerns the effect of cysteine derivatives and its hydrazides on cell mediated immunity. Cysteine derivatives appeared to exert marked suppressive influence on development and course of post-adjuvant polyarthritis in rats. L-cysteine hydrazides prolonged skin allograft survival time in rats to higher degree than cysteine.

L-cysteine hydrazide--its pharmacological and immunosuppressive activity.

The authors investigated the immunological and pharmacological activity of l-cysteine hydrazide. It was found, that the preparation exhibited an interesting immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effect, which was evoked by the interference of the drug in nucleic acids and by stabilization of the cell membranes. Moreover it diminished the number of T lymphocytes.

Influence of the cysteine derivatives on the cell-mediated immunity.

The immunosuppressive action of N,N, S-trimethyl-cysteine, S-methyl-L-cysteine hydrazide hydrochloride and L-cysteine hydrazide on the course of post-adjuvant polyarthritis, graft-versus-host reaction, turpentine oedema and incorporation of 3H-thymidine into spontaneous or PHA stimulated lymphocyte cultures was examined. Inhibition of post-adjuvant polyarthritis and prolongation of skin allograft survival time were observed. L-cysteine hydrazide had shown the most inhibiting action.