Publications by authors named "Sladek K"

The study aims to evaluate and compare two advanced proteomic techniques, nanoLC-MALDI-MS/MS and nanoLC-TIMS-MS/MS, in characterizing extracellular vesicles (EVs) from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Pulmonary diseases, driven by pollutants and infections, often necessitate detailed analysis of BALF to identify diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. EVs, which include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, are isolated using filtration and ultracentrifugation, and their morphology, concentration, and size distribution are assessed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA).

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Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody that has recently been introduced for the treatment of asthma. It has the potential to significantly alter the progression and severity of T2 -dependent diseases, including severe asthma. However, dupilumab can cause transient hypereosinophilia.

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Objectives: Implicit bias perpetuates health care inequities and manifests in patient-provider interactions, particularly nonverbal social cues like dominance. We investigated the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for automated communication assessment and feedback during primary care visits to raise clinician awareness of bias in patient interactions.

Materials And Methods: (1) Assessed the technical performance of our AI models by building a machine-learning pipeline that automatically detects social signals in patient-provider interactions from 145 primary care visits.

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Patient-provider communication influences patient health outcomes, and analyzing such communication could help providers identify opportunities for improvement, leading to better care. Interpersonal communication can be assessed through "social-signals" expressed in non-verbal, vocal behaviors like interruptions, turn-taking, and pitch. To automate this assessment, we introduce a machine-learning pipeline that ingests audio-streams of conversations and tracks the magnitude of four social-signals: dominance, interactivity, engagement, and warmth.

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Article Synopsis
  • Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant concern for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, and there's a lack of tailored risk assessment tools for predicting AKI in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.
  • The study developed a predictive model using data from over 4,600 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, utilizing machine learning techniques to analyze various factors related to AKI risk.
  • Results showed the model had strong predictive power (average performance of 0.798), with key risk factors identified including the need for respiratory support and pre-existing chronic kidney disease.
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Background: It is a well-known fact that COVID-19 affects the cardiovascular system by exacerbating heart failure in patients with preexisting conditions. However, there is a poor insight into the cardiovascular involvement and sequelae in patients without preexisting conditions. The aim of the study is to analyse the influence of COVID-19 on cardiac performance in patients without prior history of structural heart disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • Nintedanib is used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and this study analyzed its safety and efficacy in a large group of Polish patients from March 2018 to October 2021.* -
  • The study included 501 patients, mostly male and averaging around 71 years old, who were monitored for a median of 15 months; results showed stable pulmonary function for most, although some experienced adverse drug reactions (ADRs) like diarrhea and decreased appetite.* -
  • Overall, nintedanib was found to be safe with acceptable side effects, and the findings align with previous research on nintedanib's effectiveness in managing IPF.*
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Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with many long-term health consequences. We hypothesized that previously unrecognized and untreated OSA may be associated with more severe respiratory failure in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Methods: Patients hospitalized in the Pulmonology Department with confirmed COVID-19, University Hospital in Kraków, Poland, between September 2020 and April 2021 were enrolled.

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Background: Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is an interventional endoscopic treatment for severe asthma leading to the clinical improvement, but morphologic changes of bronchial wall related to the procedure and predictors of a favorable response to BT remain uncertain. The aim of the study was to validate an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) in assessing the effectiveness of BT treatment.

Methods: Patients with severe asthma who met the clinical criteria for BT were included.

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Introduction: Hemostatic abnormalities play an important role in the pathogenesis of COVID‑19 and are considered determinants of the patients' outcomes. Less is known about the dynamics of these abnormalities in a short‑term observation.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate hemostatic activity markers in patients hospitalized for COVID‑19 depending on the severity of respiratory failure.

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Article Synopsis
  • - COVID-19 patients have an increased risk of blood clots, showing lower levels of protein C and free protein S, and a higher prevalence of certain antibodies compared to controls.
  • - The study involved analyzing blood samples from 118 COVID-19 patients and 46 controls, focusing on thrombin generation and other clotting factors, all taken before any treatment was given.
  • - Pulmonary embolism (PE) occurred in 11% of patients, linked to elevated D-dimer levels, higher troponin I levels, and quicker thrombin peak times during their hospital stay.
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Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory granulomatous disease of unknown cause that most commonly affects lungs and lymph nodes, with frequent yet asymptomatic cardiac involvement. The epidemiologically associated cardiovascular risk suggests an underlying prothrombotic state and endothelial dysfunction, currently understudied in the available literature. Therefore, we aimed to investigate prothrombotic plasma properties together with selected echocardiographic and laboratory biomarkers of cardiovascular injury in that disease.

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Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) is currently classified as a type-2 (T2) immune-mediated disease characterized by asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis, and hypersensitivity to cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitors.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize immunological endotypes of N-ERD based on the gene expression profile in the bronchial epithelium.

Methods: mRNA transcriptome (mRNA-sequencing) was analyzed in bronchial brushings from patients with N-ERD (n = 22), those with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-tolerant asthma (NTA, n = 21), and control subjects (n = 11).

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Background: Pirfenidone and nintedanib are considered as the standard of care in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but there is no consensus as to which of these two agents should be regarded as first-line treatment.

Objective: To provide real-world data on therapeutic decisions of pulmonary specialists, particularly the choice of the antifibrotic drug in patients with IPF.

Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective survey collecting clinical data of patients with IPF considered as candidates for antifibrotic treatment between September 2019 and December 2020.

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Background and Objectives: Poor sleep quality in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be associated with different clinical and polysomnographic features. The aim of this study was to identify features associated with poor sleep quality in OSA patients. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study enrolling patients with OSA confirmed by polysomnography (PSG).

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Introduction: The course of consecutive COVID‑19 waves was influenced by medical and organizational factors.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the outcomes of patients hospitalized for COVID‑19 during the first 3 waves of the pandemic.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records of all COVID‑19 patients admitted to the University Hospital in Kraków, Poland, a designated COVID‑19 hospital in Małopolska province, between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021.

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Aim: To assess the association between discharge policy and hospital stay length, and to evaluate the factors related to duration of viral clearance among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled consecutive patients aged ≥18 years with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test who were admitted to hospital. The participants were divided into the test-based (TB) policy group or symptom-based (SB) group depending on the policy valid at their hospital discharge.

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Background: The aim of the research presented here was to find a set of parameters enabling discrimination between three types of fibroblasts, i.e., healthy ones and those derived from two disorders mimicking each other: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP).

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Tularaemia is a rare infectious disease caused by Francisella tularensis. In Poland, F. tularensis infections are caused by F.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural changes of the airways using the endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) in ACO patients compared to severe asthma and COPD patients.

Patients And Methods: The study included 17 patients with ACO, 17 patients with COPD and 33 patients with severe asthma. Detailed clinical data were obtained from all participants.

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Human rhinoviruses (HRV) are frequent cause of asthma exacerbations, however the influence of airway inflammation on the severity of viral infection is poorly understood. Here, we investigated how cytokine-induced remodeling of airway epithelium modulates antiviral response. We analyzed gene expression response in in vitro differentiated bronchial epithelium exposed to cytokines and next infected with HRV16.

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Purpose: Lipid mediators, particularly eicosanoids, are associated with airway inflammation, especially with the eosinophilic influx. This study aimed to measure lipid mediators and cells in induced sputum, that could possibly reflect the inflammatory process in the bronchial tree of COPD subjects.

Patients And Methods: Eighty patients diagnosed with COPD and 37 healthy controls participated in the study.

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