Exploring the link between inflammation and brain function after metabolic-bariatric surgery: A year-long fMRI study.

Background: Metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) transcends weight loss and offers wide-ranging health benefits, including positive effects on brain function. However, the mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear, particularly in the context of significant postoperative changes in the inflammatory profile characteristic of MBS. Understanding how inflammation influences postoperative brain function can enhance our decision-making on patient eligibility for MBS and create new opportunities to improve the outcomes of this popular treatment.

Food allergens and oral immunotherapy as indicators of eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune-mediated esophageal disease, clinically characterised by symptoms of esophageal dysfunction and histologically by eosinophilic infiltration of its wall. The last 3 decades have seen a sharp increase in its incidence to the point that it is called the second most common esophageal disease after reflux disease in some recent studies. The main indicators of EoE are food allergens and in recent years the extremely important role of oral immunotherapy (OIT) in the development of this disease has also been increasingly raised.

Distribution of Pathogens in Early- and Late-Onset Sepsis Among Preterm Infants: A Decade-Long Study in a Tertiary Referral Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Neonatal sepsis, a severe infection in newborns, remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among preterm infants. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of pathogens responsible for early-onset sepsis (EOS) and late-onset sepsis (LOS), the annual variability of pathogens responsible for each type of infection, and potential trends in their profiles in preterm infants from a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit over a ten-year period. We analyzed 177 episodes of confirmed bloodstream infection between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2023.

Overuse of CT for Minor Head Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Analysis from Poland and Lithuania Trauma Centres.

: Head trauma is one of many conditions that trauma centres deal with daily. This study aimed to analyse the utilisation of head CT scans for patients with minor head trauma in two major hospitals in Lithuania and Poland. : We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study of CT utilisation in minor head trauma patients presenting to the Level 1 trauma centre Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics (HLUHS KC) and Jan Biziel University Hospital in Bydgoszcz emergency departments (EDs), during the study period from 01 February to 30 April 2023.

Polymorphic Variants in the Vitamin D Receptor and Clinical Parameters of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Undergoing Anti-TNF Treatment.

Vitamin D levels have been related to the severity and progression of various autoimmune disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of genetic variability in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene on disease susceptibility and progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. The study comprises 121 RA patients subjected to anti-TNF therapy genotyped for four VDR polymorphic variants: rs1544410 (I), rs2228570 (I), rs731236 (I), and rs7975232 (I).

Digital image analysis of vertebral body L4 and its ossification center in the human fetus.

Using a Siemens-Biograph 128 mCT camera the morphometric analysis of the L4 vertebral body and its ossification center were done in 55human fetuses aged 17 to 30weeks. No sex differences were found. The mean height, transverse and sagittal diameters of L4 vertebral body followed the logarithmic functions: y = -11.

CT-Based Evaluation of Volumetric Posterior Pelvic Bone Density with Implications for the Percutaneous Screw Fixation of the Sacroiliac Joint.

Operative treatment of fragility fractures of the pelvis has become a gold standard. Preoperative planning, including the assessment of the pathway for iliosacral screws, is crucial. The anchorage of the screw depends on the bone quality.

Prevalence of ruptured small and very small aneurysms: a retrospective single-centre study.

Aim Of Study: To retrospectively assess the occurrence and consequences of subarachnoid haemorrhages (SAH) caused by ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RIA), particularly focusing on the treatment outcomes of small aneurysms treated with either endovascular embolisation or surgical intervention.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively analysed data from 408 patients (144 males and 264 females) who were hospitalised between 2013 and 2022 at the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology in University Hospital Nr 2 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Clinical conditions at admission, assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale, Hunt-Hess scale (H-H), modified Rankin scale (mRS), as well as age and sex, were recorded.

Lung Ultrasound Score in Neonatal RDS: Agreement between Sonography Expert and Neonatologists with Varying Levels of Experience.

This study aimed to assess interrater agreement in lung ultrasound scores (LUS) among neonatologists with varying experience levels and an expert sonographer. A post hoc analysis was conducted on data from a prospective multicenter study involving 155 infants born <34 weeks' gestation, all with respiratory distress syndrome. A total of 629 lung scans were performed and video-recorded by 21 point-of-care sonographers, including both experienced (n = 7) and inexperienced (n = 14) evaluators.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection during Delivery Causes Histopathological Changes in the Placenta.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 can damage human placentas, leading to pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and premature birth. This study investigates the histopathological changes found in COVID-19-affected placentas.

Materials And Methods: This study included 23 placentas from patients with active COVID-19 during delivery and 22 samples from patients without COVID-19 infection in their medical history.

Treatment of Allergies to Fur Animals.

Allergy to fur animals is becoming an increasingly common clinical problem in everyday medical practice. Depending on the route of exposure to the allergen, patients present with many, often non-specific symptoms. The most common illnesses among people with allergies to the above-mentioned allergens are as follows: allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic bronchial asthma, food allergy, allergic contact dermatitis, and sometimes anaphylactic shock.

The role and therapeutic effectiveness of seed husk (psyllium husk) in the prevention and non-pharmacological treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Part 1. Clinical use of psyllium husk in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and colorectal cancer.

is a common medicinal plant widely cultivated in tropical regions of the world. The outer seed coat of , obtained by cleaning the seeds, contains soluble and insoluble fibre in a ratio of 7:3, making products containing husk an ideal source of health-beneficial fibre. The results of clinical trials demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of psyllium husk for various gastrointestinal disorders.

Diagnostics of Allergy to Furry Animals-Possibilities in 2024.

Diagnosing allergies is not always easy. Sometimes the symptoms reported by the patient do not match the results of diagnostic tests. Diagnostics of IgE-dependent allergy, including allergy to furry animals, can be based on two basic strategies, "BOTTOM-UP" and "TOP-DOWN", and almost all available allergy tests can be used ranging from skin tests, through specific IgE, to molecular panels and challenge tests.

Hairy cell leukemia - etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and modern therapeutic approach.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) represents 2% of all leukemia cases, with men aged above 55 years being the most affected. The most common symptoms of this type of leukemia include splenomegaly, monocytopenia, and neutropenia. In the basic blood count examination, leukopenia with monocytopenia and granulocytopenia, as well as aplastic anemia and/or thrombocytopenia occur.

Interleukin levels and depressive symptoms in psoriatic arthritis patients: insights from a case-control study on socio-demographic factors and disease perception.

In the course of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), depression occurs much more often than in the general population. Depression can be considered a poor prognostic factor. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between the occurrence of depression and the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with PsA.

Cancer Stem Cells from Definition to Detection and Targeted Drugs.

Cancers remain the second leading cause of mortality in the world. Preclinical and clinical studies point an important role of cancer/leukaemia stem cells (CSCs/LSCs) in the colonisation at secondary organ sites upon metastatic spreading, although the precise mechanisms for specific actions are still not fully understood. Reviewing the present knowledge on the crucial role of CSCs/LSCs, their plasticity, and population heterogeneity in treatment failures in cancer patients is timely.

Mechanical Thrombectomy in Stroke-Retrospective Comparison of Methods: Aspiration vs. Stent Retrievers vs. Combined Method-Is Aspiration the Best Starting Point?

: There are three main methods of mechanical thrombectomy (MT): using a stent retriever (SR) only (SO), aspiration catheter (AC) only (AO) and the combined method (CM) using both the SR and AC. This paper describes a real-life, single-center experience using SO, AO and CM during 276 consecutive MTs. : The primary endpoint was the frequency of first-pass complete (FPE TICI3).

Association of MICA and NKG2D genetic variants with disease susceptibility and outcome of anti-TNF therapy in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: The disruption of the NKG2D-MICA axis can induce an enhanced immune response and promote autoimmune processes during axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate potential relationships between selected single nucleotide polymorphisms within the MICA and NKG2D genes and disease susceptibility and clinical parameters in axSpA patients treated with TNF inhibitors.

Methods: Genotyping of MICA rs1051792 and NKG2D rs1154831, rs1049174, and rs2255336 was performed in 163 axSpA patients and 234 healthy controls using a real-time PCR method.

The impact of the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on vascular surgery practice in the leading regional center: a comparative, retrospective study.

Background: We conducted an analysis of the vascular surgery regional center reorganization in response to the first and the second wave of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to see what lessons we learned from the first wave.

Methods: The study included a total of 632 patients admitted to the vascular surgery department in three periods: March-May 2020, October-December 2020, and October-December 2019 as a control period.

Results: In the pandemic periods the number of admitted patients decreased in relation to the control period.

Changes in frontal aslant tract tractography in selected types of brain tumours.

Aim Of The Study: To present differences in frontal aslant tract (FAT) tractography among patients diagnosed with primary brain tumours and metastatic brain tumours.

Material And Methods: The analysis included 38 patients diagnosed with a frontal brain tumour. A control group of 30 healthy patients was also considered.

Ocular involvement in rheumatic diseases.

Rheumatic diseases are associated with a significant decline in quality of life, which is not only related to the progression of the underlying disease but also to the development of coexisting conditions. One of the possible complications in this group of diseases is ocular involvement. Impaired vision is strongly associated with a significant decline in quality of life and can also exacerbate problems related to physical functioning.

Multicenter registry of Impella-assisted high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiogenic shock in Poland (IMPELLA-PL).

Background: Impella is a percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device for treatment of cardiogenic shock (CS) and high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions (HR-PCIs). IMPELLA-PL is a national retrospective registry of Impella-treated CS and HR-PCI patients in 20 Polish interventional cardiological centers, conducted from January 2014 until December 2021.

Aims: We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of Impella using real-world data from IMPELLA-PL and compare these with other registries.