Obesity in Bulgarian patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

It has been well defined that obesity is strongly linked with several respiratory symptoms and diseases, but no convincing evidence has been provided for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the current study, we aim to assess the possible prevalence of obesity in patients with COPD in a cross-sectional case-control study of individuals from the region of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, and to explore whether the body mass has some effect on the lung function of COPD patients. The study included 158 patients with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) II, III, and IV stages) and 123 individuals unaffected by the disease (control).

Correlation between TNF-alpha and IL-12p40-containing cytokines in silicosis.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-12p40-containing cytokines, in silicosis patients and healthy donors exposed to silica dust, in an attempt to clarify the reason for variety of clinical outcomes between humans with similar exposure history. Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-12p40, IL-12p70 and IL-23 in total group of 62 silicosis patients, 24 healthy donors with similar exposure history like patients and 19 healthy donors without exposure were determined by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The serum level of TNF-alpha was significantly higher in healthy donors exposed to SiO(2) (22.

Changes of cytokine production and cell viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from silicosis patients: effect of in vitro treatment with acetylsalicylic acid.

In this study, IL-6 and IL-12p40 production and cell viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from silicosis patients after in vitro stimulation were investigated. Furthermore, the effects of introducing acetylsalicylic acid to stimulated patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells on cytokine production and cell viability were determined. Nine patients with moderate silicosis, 11 with severe silicosis and 14 healthy subjects were recruited for this study.

IL-12Bpro and GSTP1 polymorphisms in association with silicosis.

To assess the role of IL-12Bpro and GSTP1 polymorphisms on induced interleukin (IL)-12p40 production in respect to silicosis development, we examined their distribution in 63 silicosis patients and 165 healthy donors. Decreased frequencies of IL-12Bpro-2 allele (42% vs 62.5%, P = 0.

Interleukin-12B-3'UTR polymorphism in association with IL-12p40 and IL-12p70 serum levels and silicosis severity.

Susceptibility to silicosis and to disease severity is in part genetically determined. In this study, the role of IL-12B-3'UTR polymorphism in susceptibility and severity of silicosis and its influence on IL-12p40 and IL-12p70 serum level were investigated. The quantity of IL-12p40 and IL-12p70 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the genotype of IL-12B was determined using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism method.

Monitoring of acid-base status of workers at a methyl methacrylate and polymethyl methacrylate production plant in Bulgaria.

This study was carried out on 104 workers at three work operations and a control (nonproduction) area, within a methyl methacrylate (MMA)/polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) production facility in Bulgaria. Airborne monitoring was conducted over a 10-year period for MMA and the reactant chemicals methanol and acetone cyanhydrine at the MMA operation, and MMA was monitored at the PMMA operation. Acid-base status of the workers was evaluated using traditional criteria (pH, pCO(2), pO(2), and HCO(3) in plasma).