What factors may influence epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Poland and in the world?

The authors present the review of factors influencing epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Poland and in the world. The groups of increased risk of tuberculosis, and clinical conditions predisposing to activation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) such as HIV, uremia, diabetes mellitus, transplantation of organs, treatment with glucocorticosteroids and with antibodies to TNF and to its receptors, were presented. The higher prevalence and worse prognosis of tuberculosis in elderly people was emphasised.

Epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Poland: part II. What are the causes of the different epidemiological situation in various regions of Poland?

Introduction: The different epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in various regions of Poland (higher and lower notification rates) was described previously by our group. The patients diagnosed with tuberculosis in the higher notification rate areas were younger and there were more cases of primary tuberculosis (tuberculous pleurisy and tuberculosis of chest lymph nodes) than in the patients diagnosed in the lower notification areas. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible causes of the different epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in various regions of Poland.

The epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Poland: Part I. According to notification rates, the incidence of tuberculosis varies in different regions of Poland: is this true?

Introduction: In 2012 the incidence rate of tuberculosis in Poland was 19.6/100,000 but these was great variability between regions concerning notification rates (from 10.9/100,000 to 30.

[Extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Poland in the years 1974-2010].

Introduction: The incidence of tuberculosis in Poland decreased from 128.5 in 100 000 in 1970 to 19.1 in 100 000 in 2010.

Primary Sjögren's Syndrome with two extraglandular sites involvement - case report.

Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) is a chronic, slowly progressive inflammatory autoimmune disorder, characterised by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands, leading to decrease of glandular secretion. In 40-60% of pSS patients, extraglandular disease develops. We present the case of a patient with two extraglandular sites involvement in the course of pSS manifesting with progressive respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

[Comparison of Th1 and Th2 response in the blood of tuberculous patients and healthy contacts].

Introduction: Th1 response is known to play a dominant role in the resistance to tuberculosis. Nevertheless, IFN gamma levels are frequently increased in tuberculous patients, especially at the site of the disease. It is also possible that the shift toward Th2 response is responsible for the loss of resistance.

[Familial predisposition to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

The role of cigarette smoking in development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is well known, however only in about 20% of smokers clinical disease was diagnosed. It points to additional factors which influence the sensitivity to tobacco products. Familial clustering of COPD has been observed and genetic deficiency of alpha 1 antitrypsine with ZZ phenotype was proved to be a factor responsible for the early onset of this disease.

Modulatory effect of sera from patients with various types of pulmonary fibrosis on mononuclear cell induced angiogenesis in relation to pulmonary function.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis occurs also in many diseases, such as other types of interstitial pneumonias or drug-induced pulmonary fibrosis. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of sera from patients with various types of pulmonary fibrosis on angiogenesis induced by human mononuclear cells (MNC) in relation to lung functions.

Interferon gamma production in the course of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

It is not clear why some individuals with unknown predisposition develop tuberculosis, while others remain healthy in spite of heavy exposure. Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) is considered to be the key cytokine responsible for resistance to M. tuberculosis infection, as confirmed by increased susceptibility to mycobacterial infections in rare inherited defects in IL-12-IFNgamma axis.

Heterogeneity of antibody response to myobacterial antigens in different clinical manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Different clinical outcomes of tuberculosis can be related to the balance between cell-mediated and humoral immunity. In this prospective study we examined the humoral immune responses to recombinant and native mycobacterial antigens in relation to clinical presentations of pulmonary TB. Two hundred and fifteen serum samples were examined including: non-cavitary (n=120), cavitary (n=65), caseous pneumonia (n=12), and disseminated TB (n=18).

[Humoral immune response against mycobacterial antigens in patients with tuberculosis and mycobacterial infections other than tuberculosis].

The aim of the study was to compare humoral immune response against various mycobacterial antigens in TB and MOTT vs healthy control group. 350 serum samples from TB patients, 20 samples from MOTT patients and 58 samples from healthy donors were examined. ELISA detecting IgG, IgA and IgM against antigens: 38 kDa and 16 kDa, 38kDa and lipoarabinomannan, and A-60 were used.

[Invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients treated in the Institute of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases in the years 1993-2005--diagnostic problems].

The aim of this study was to present the diagnostic problems in pts treated for invasive aspergillosis (IA) in the IIIrd Clinic of the Institute of Tuberculosis in the years 1993-2005. The material consisted of clinical documentation of 18 pts. 15 out of 18 pts (83,4%) died.

Humoral immune response against mycobacterial antigens in children with tuberculosis.

Different clinical outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) are related to the balance between cell-mediated and humoral immunity and may depend on environmental and individual factors including age and sex. The purpose of this study was to analyze the humoral immune response to recombinant and native mycobacterial antigens in relation to clinical presentations of pulmonary TB in children. We examined 224 serum samples including 81 primary and 31 postprimary TB cases, 30 cases of latent TB infection, and 82 nontuberculosis controls.

p53 and HER2/neu expression in relation to chemotherapy response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The aim of the study was to investigate a relation between p53 and HER2/neu expression in resected lung tumors and the response of those tumors to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The study population included 67 consecutive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in stage II or III who were operated on at the Institute of Tuberculosis, Warsaw, Poland, between 20 April 2001 and 10 March 2003. All patients received two cycles of chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and vinorelbine prior to the operation.

Neuroendocrine phenotype of non-small cell lung carcinoma: immunohistological evaluation and biochemical study.

Aims And Methods: The prevalence and distribution of neuroendocrine differentiation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was estimated by assays for synaptophysin (SYN), chromogranin A (CgA), Leu7 and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Serum NSE and CgA were determined in parallel to find the values of these markers for distinguishing neuroendocrine differentiation in NSCLC. Fifty-eight resected NSCLC specimens and 34 sera of NSCLC patients entered the study.

[Mycobacterium kansasii infection in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), report of two cases].

Mycobacterium kansasii infection leads to significant morbidity both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. 7 subtypes of M. Kansasii were identified so far.

Humoral immune response against mycobacterial antigens in bronchoalveolar fluid from tuberculosis patients.

Resistance to tuberculosis (TB) is cell-mediated but a humoral response is common and may be correlated with the lack of effective local cellular defense mechanisms. The goal of the study was to evaluate IgG, IgA, and IgM-mediated humoral immune response against 38-kDa+16-kDa and 38-kDa+lipoarabinomannan (LAM) mycobacterial antigens in bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) from patients with pulmonary TB. Non-tuberculosis (NTB) patients were used as control.