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Purpose: Occurrence of skin changes, in the form of discolouration on neck and in form of a so-called "thyroid shadow", was observed in patients with: Hashimoto's disease, Graves' disease, struma nodosa euthyrotica or hyperthyreosis. Effects of selenium status and smoking on the risk of those skin changes were investigated. Materials and methods: The study group consisted of 267 patients with different kinds of thyroid disease. The control group included 34 healthy people. Selenium concentrations in serum were determined by electrothermal absorption spectrometry method. Results: Thyroid shadow was observed in 70 percent of the subject. Selenium levels in serum were lower in patients with thyroid disease (65.051±16.70 μg/L), especially in smokers (62.477±15.21 μg/L) than in the control group (75.162±19.92 μg/L). Conclusions: Thyroid shadow syndrome would be the diagnostic signal of thyroid diseases, especially Hashimoto disease. Selenium status is important in the studied thyroid diseases. Cigarette smoking decreases the concentration of selenium in the serum of patients with thyroid diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of freeze dried ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), chrysin and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) dependently on their concentrations on the viability and morphology of human astroglia cells line (SVGpl2). Material and methods: Using gas chromatography - mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) we have established the composition of lyophilisate of EEP collected in Podlasie region (Poland). After 24 h, 48 h and 72 h of exposition to EEP or its ingredients we evaluated the survivability of human astroglia cells (SVGpl2) using MTT test. Morphological analysis of human astroglia cells was defined by transmission electron microscope. Results: About 70 ingredients of EEP were evaluated by GC-MS. We obtained the strong decline of viability of astroglia cells SVGpl2 approximately to 16% after EEP; 33% after chrysin and 25% after CAPE application. Condensed form of mitochondria observed in transmission electron microscope may indicate activation of intrinsic pathway of apoptosis induced by EEP, chrysin and CAPE in SVGpl2 cell line. Conclusion: This study showed that EEP, chrysin and CAPE reduced viability of human astroglia cells probably due to apoptosis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]