The Effect of Immunosuppressive Drugs on MMPs Activity in The Walls of Blood Vessels - A Systematic Review.

The current study focuses on the role of MMPs in the pathogenesis of the vascular damage and at the same time it offers the review referring to the influence of the immunosuppressive treatment on this interdependence. Contemporary immunosuppressive treatment constitutes of four groups of medications, such as: calcineurin inhibitors including cyclosporine A and tacrolimus; inhibitors of the inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase - the only agent from this group currently used in transplantation is mycophenalate mofetil (MMF); mTOR inhibitors, consisting of everolimus and glucocorticosteroids. Due to the fact that the properties of immunosuppressive drugs still remain unclear and transplant recipients need to use these medicines every day, knowledge of this should be further expanded.

COVID-19 Autopsies: A Case Series from Poland.

This paper presents autopsy findings of 3 COVID-19 patients randomly selected for post-mortem from two tertiary referral Polish hospitals. Analysis of macroscopic, histopathological findings with clinical features was performed. All 3 deceased patients were Caucasian males (average age 61 years, range from 56 to 68 years).

Hp1-1 as a Genetic Marker Regulating Inflammation and the Possibility of Developing Diabetic Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes-Cohort Studies.

Background: This study assessed the influence of the haptoglobin phenotype on markers regulating inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The haptoglobin phenotypes, soluble form of CD163 receptor (sCD163), p53 concentrations and high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1), interleukin 10 (IL-10) secretion in serum were assayed via ELISA tests. In the first part of the project, patients were divided into three groups which differed by the haptoglobin phenotype, and afterwards into two groups according to the criterion of the presence or absence of cardiovascular disease.

Decreased Volume of Lateral and Medial Geniculate Nuclei in Patients with LHON Disease-7 Tesla MRI Study.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally inherited genetic disorder leading to severe and bilateral loss of central vision, with a young male predilection. In recent years, multiple studies examined structural abnormalities in visual white matter tracts such as the optic tract and optic radiation. However, it is still unclear if the disease alters only some parts of the white matter architecture or whether the changes also affect grey matter parts of the visual pathway.

Palliative Radiotherapy Produced Spectacular Improvement in a Terminally Ill Colorectal Carcinoma Patient With Severe Pain and Duodenal Bleeding.

Colorectal cancer has a devastating effect on the quality of life, and the treatment of active intestinal bleeding in colorectal cancer is a real challenge at the end of life. This case report presents a spectacular effect of an unusual palliative treatment strategy in a middle-aged home hospice patient with severe pain and persistent duodenal bleeding secondary to its neoplastic infiltration. Palliative radiotherapy (RT) significantly improved pain control, terminated the duodenal bleeding, and allowed successful treatment of deep vein thrombosis, previously impossible because of the bleeding.

Mechanisms of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Tumor Microenvironment in -Induced Gastric Cancer.

() is one of the most common human pathogens, affecting half of the world's population. Approximately 20% of the infected patients develop gastric ulcers or neoplastic changes in the gastric stroma. An infection also leads to the progression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition within gastric tissue, increasing the probability of gastric cancer development.

Clinical value of tissue DNA integrity index in pancreatic cancer.

Background: DNA integrity index as a blood biomarker is associated with the prognosis of cancer patients.

Aims: The primary goal of the study was to examine tissue DNA integrity index (DII) in a group of pancreatic cancer (PC) tumor tissues and control adjacent pancreatic tissues. We also aimed to test the relationship between the tumor tissue DII and the clinicopathological parameters and the overall survival.

Feet deformities and their close association with postural stability deficits in children aged 10-15 years.

Background: Children and young people make up an age group most vulnerable to falls. Various stability disorders may become instrumental in sustaining more frequent falls and resultant fractures. Correct morphological structure impacts overall efficiency of the foot, as well as offers significant diagnostic potential.

Assessment of Pain, Acceptance of Illness, Adjustment to Life, and Strategies of Coping with Illness among Patients with Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of deaths in Poland. The standard treatment for non-advanced gastric cancer is surgery, which significantly reduces the quality of life of patients. The objective of the study was to evaluate the strategy of coping with pain and its control, acceptance of illness, and adjustment to living with cancer in patients suffering from gastric cancer.

Is mitochondrial DNA copy number a good prognostic marker in resectable pancreatic cancer?

Background: The aim of this prospective study was to investigate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in a group of resectable pancreatic cancer (PC) tumor tissues and adjacent normal pancreatic tissues, and to explore the correlation between the mtDNA content in tissues and the clinicopathological parameters and the overall survival.

Methods: Relative mtDNA copy number was measured by the quantitative PCR-based assay. The tumors specimens (n = 43) originated from the patients with pathologically confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who did not receive any neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Quality and practical aspects of pathological and molecular diagnostics in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. In recent years novel therapies targeted at EGFR receptor have been developed. However, this treatment can only be beneficial if no mutation in specific loci of and genes is found in tumour specimen.

Neural stem cell therapy-Brief review.

Adult mammalian neural stem cells are unique because of their properties, such as differentiation capacity, self-renewal, quiescence, and also because they exist in specific niches, which are the subventricular zone (SVZ) and subgranular zone (SGZ) - the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. SVZ is situated along the ependymal cell layer, dividing the ventricular area and subventricular zone. There are several sources of neural stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells, human fetal brain-derived neural stem/progenitor cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells, direct reprogrammed astrocytes.

Mechanical circulatory support is effective to treat pulmonary hypertension in heart transplant candidates disqualified due to unacceptable pulmonary vascular resistance.

Introduction: High pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) candidates is a risk factor of right ventricle failure after the procedure. However, the increase of PVR may be a consequence of the life-threatening deterioration of the left ventricle function. The use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) seems to be the best solution, but it is reimbursed only in active OHT candidates.