Analysis of the Paternally-Imprinted DLK1-MEG3 and IGF2-H19 Tandem Gene Loci in NT2 Embryonal Carcinoma Cells Identifies DLK1 as a Potential Therapeutic Target.

The paternally-imprinted genes insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), H19, delta-like homologue 1 (DLK1), and maternally-expressed gene 3 (MEG3) are expressed from the tandem gene loci IGF2-H19 and DLK1-MEG3, which play crucial roles in initiating embryogenesis and development. The erasure of imprinting (EOI) at differentially methylated regions (DMRs) which regulate the expression of these genes maintains the developmental quiescence of primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrating through the embryo proper during embryogenesis and prevents them from forming teratomas. To address the potential involvement of the IGF2-H19 and DLK1-MEG3 loci in the pathogenesis of embryonal carcinoma (EC), we investigated their genomic imprinting at DMRs in the human PGC-derived EC cell line NTera-2 (NT2).

Impulsivity and vitamin D in bariatric surgery candidates.

Background: Obesity is recognized as a major health problem. Vitamin D is involved in maintaining energy metabolism by regulation of glucose transporters, uncoupling proteins, and normal brain function. We aimed to explore a relationship between impulsivity, eating behaviors, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in a sample of 322 bariatric surgery candidates.

Malignancies in Patients with Anti-RNA Polymerase III Antibodies and Systemic Sclerosis: Analysis of the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research Cohort and Possible Recommendations for Screening.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies (anti-RNAP3)- positive patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in the European League Against Rheumatism Scleroderma Trials and Research group (EUSTAR) registry with a focus on the risk of cancer and the characteristics of malignancies, and the aim to provide guidelines about potential cancer screening in these patients.

Methods: (1) Analysis of the EUSTAR database: 4986 patients with information on their anti-RNAP3 status were included. (2) Case-control study: additional retrospective data, including malignancy history, were queried in 13 participating EUSTAR centers; 158 anti-RNAP3+ cases were compared with 199 local anti-RNAP3- controls, matched for sex, cutaneous subset, disease duration, and age at SSc onset.

Application of the BPCQ questionnaire to assess pain management in selected types of cancer.

Introduction: Pain is one of the most prevalent unpleasant sensation in people that may significantly lower the quality of life. More than a half of cancer patients suffer from various forms of pain, which becomes more frequent and intense as disease progresses.

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the degree of pain control in patients diagnosed with breast, lung, colorectal and prostate cancer.

The Management of Patients after Surgical Treatment of Maxillofacial Tumors.

Morphological and functional disturbances induced by postsurgical defects and loss of tissues in the stomatognathic system due to the treatment of tumors in the maxillofacial region determine the therapeutic needs of patients. The study aimed at clinical and epidemiological evaluation of patients under prosthetic treatment in order to establish the algorithm for rehabilitation. The study group was composed of the patients after midface surgery (45.

Adjustment to Life with Lung Cancer.

Background: In Poland, lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in males (20% of all cases) and third most common type of cancer in females (9% of all cases), right behind breast and colorectal cancers. Recently, 28,000 new cases of lung cancer per year were reported in both genders.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to asses coping strategies, pain management, acceptance of illness and adjustment to cancer in patients diagnosed with pulmonary carcinoma and the effect of socioeconomic variables on the abovementioned issues.

The significance of c.690G>T polymorphism (rs34529039) and expression of the CEBPA gene in ovarian cancer outcome.

The CEBPA gene is known to be mutated or abnormally expressed in several cancers. This is the first study assessing the clinical impact of CEBPA gene status and expression on the ovarian cancer outcome. The CEBPA gene sequence was analyzed in 118 ovarian cancer patients (44 platinum/cyclophosphamide (PC)-treated and 74 taxane/platinum (TP)-treated), both in tumors and blood samples, and in blood from 236 healthy women, using PCR-Sanger sequencing and Real-Time quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based genotyping methods, respectively.

The expression of MMP-14 and microRNA-410 in FFPE tissues of human endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy in Europe and North America. It is classified into two types exhibiting different characteristics and prognosis. Type I is an estrogen-dependent tumor, histologically classified as low grade and low stage, usually with an excellent prognosis.

Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders and Bruxism.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is a sleep-related breathing disorder, due mainly to peripheral causes, characterized by repeated episodes of obstruction of the upper airways, associated with snoring and arousals. The sleep process fragmentation and oxygen desaturation events lead to the major health problems with numerous pathophysiological consequences. Micro-arousals occurring during sleep are considered to be the main causal factor for night jaw-closing muscles activation called bruxism.

Transferrin receptor levels and polymorphism of its gene in age-related macular degeneration.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of age related macular degeneration (AMD) risk with some aspects of iron homeostasis: iron concentration in serum, level of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) genetic variability. Four hundred and ninety one AMD patients and 171 controls were enrolled in the study. Restriction fragment length polymorphism PCR was employed to genotype polymorphisms of the TFRC gene, and colorimetric assays were used to determine the level of iron and sTfR.

Polymorphism of the LIG3 gene in keratoconus and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.

The product of the LIG3 gene encodes DNA ligase III, which is involved in the repair of oxidatively damaged DNA in the base excision repair pathway. We hypothesized that polymorphism in this gene may change susceptibility to oxidative stress and predispose individuals to the development of keratoconus (KC) and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Therefore, we investigated the association between genotypes and haplotypes of the g.

Variability of the transferrin receptor 2 gene in AMD.

Oxidative stress is a major factor in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Iron may catalyze the Fenton reaction resulting in overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Transferrin receptor 2 plays a critical role in iron homeostasis and variability in its gene may influence oxidative stress and AMD occurrence.

Role of biochemical factors in the pathogenesis of keratoconus.

Keratoconus (KC) is a corneal disease associated with structural abnormalities in the corneal epithelium, Bowman's layer and stroma and altered concentration of tear components. KC corneas show a different pattern of collagen lamellae than their normal counterparts. Also, a reduction of several collagen types in KC epithelium and stroma was observed.

Mutagenesis of mitochondrial DNA in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.

Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is an age-related, slowly progressive disease, which may lead to loss of vision resulting from apoptosis of corneal endothelial (CE) cells, dysfunction of Descemet membrane (DM) and corneal edema. A growing body of evidence suggests that oxidative stress may play a major role in the pathogenesis of FECD and that mitochondria of CE cells are its main target. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is particularly prone to oxidative stress and changes in mtDNA were reported in FECD patients.

Polymorphism of the transferrin gene in eye diseases: keratoconus and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.

Oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of keratoconus (KC) and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Iron may promote the stress by the Fenton reaction, so its homeostasis should be strictly controlled. Transferrin is essential for iron homeostasis because it transports iron from plasma into cells.

Cancer incidence in pulmonary vasculitis.

Pulmonary vasculitis is a potentially lethal autoimmune disease characterized by granulomatous inflammation of respiratory tract, necrotizing vasculitis affecting small-to medium-size vessels and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies elevation. Typical therapy involves high-dose glucocorticosteroids combined with cyclophosphamide in a dose 1-2 mg/kg/per day. A high relapse rate in pulmonary vasculitis means prolonged courses of cyclophosphamide in some patients.

Association between polymorphism of the NQO1, NOS3 and NFE2L2 genes and AMD.

Oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this study we examined the association between AMD risk and polymorphisms of genes encoding enzymes involved in the generation and removal of iron-mediated oxidation: NQO1 (609C> T, rs1800566), NOS3 (894G>T, rs1799983) and NFE2L2 (28312647A>G, rs6726395). We found that the G/G genotype of the rs6726395 polymorphism was associated with a decreased risk of AMD wet form (OR 0.

DNA damage and repair in age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal degenerative disease that is the main cause of vision loss in individuals over the age of 55 in the Western world. Clinically relevant AMD results from damage to the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells thought to be mainly caused by oxidative stress. The stress also affects the DNA of RPE cells, which promotes genome instability in these cells.

Serial antiarrhythmic therapy: role of amiodarone in prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence--a lesson from the HOT CAFE Polish Study.

Unlabelled: Antiarrhythmic drug prophylaxis is known to improve long-term success of electrical cardioversion (CV) in persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). This prospective study evaluates the efficacy of sequential antiarrhythmic drug therapy in sinus rhythm (SR) maintenance after successful elective CV in patients with persistent nonvalvular AF.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight patients (61+/-8 years old) with persistent AF underwent CV.

Visualization of the central pulmonary arteries by biplane transesophageal echocardiography.

It is suggested that transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), by detecting thromboemboli in the proximal parts of the pulmonary arteries, is useful in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. However, the data on visualization of the pulmonary arteries are limited. The extent of the pulmonary arteries that can be precisely visualized during biplane TEE was assessed in 51 consecutive patients (23 female, 28 male, aged 56.