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Elevated immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels are commonly associated with allergies. However, high IgE levels are also found in several other infectious and non-infectious disorders. Elevated IgE levels typically suggest allergies, eczema, or recurrent skin infections. Hyperimmunoglobulin E (hyper-IgE) levels typically reflect a monogenic atopic condition or inborn immune defects with an atopic phenotype. The aim of our research is to investigate and observe the clinical characteristics of children with increased IgE levels who have previously manifested infectious diseases. Furthermore, the retrospective study considers other factors, such as demographic characteristics (sex, area/environment, and age), and their effect on IgE serum levels. To answer this question, we conducted a one-year hospital-based retrospective study that included 200 hospitalized children who had at least two viral or bacterial infections in the six months preceding hospitalization. Measurements of IgE and allergen panels (respiratory and digestive) using blood samples revealed that individuals who tested positive for the body’s synthesis of hyper-IgE were not observably allergic to any potential allergens despite having higher total serum IgE. According to the results, there was a strong correlation between elevated IgE serum levels and a history of infectious diseases among the patients.

Syringa vulgaris L. (common lilac) is one of the most popular ornamental species, but also a promising not comprehensively studied source of bioactive compounds with important therapeutic potential. Our study was designed to characterize the chemical composition and to assess the antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of ethanolic extracts obtained from S. vulgaris L. flowers, leaves, bark, and fruit. The chemical profile of the ethanolic extracts was investigated using chromatographic (HPLC-DAD-ESI+, GC-MS) and spectral (UV-Vis, FT-IR) methods, while the protective effect against free radicals was evaluated in vitro by different chemical assays (DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC). The cytotoxic activity was tested on two tumoral cell lines, HeLa, B16F10, using the MTT assay. Significant amounts of free or glycosylated chemical components belonging to various therapeutically important structural classes, such as phenyl-propanoids (syringin, acteoside, echinacoside), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol derivatives) and secoiridoids (secologanoside, oleuropein, 10-hydroxy oleuropein, demethyloleuropein, syringalactone A, nuzhenide, lingstroside) were obtained for the flowers, leaves and bark extracts, respectively. Furthermore, MTT tests pointed out a significant cytotoxic potential expressed in a non-dose-dependent manner toward the tumoral lines. The performed methods underlined that S. vulgaris extracts, in particular belonging to flowers and leaves, represent valuable sources of compounds with antioxidant and antitumoral potential.

Structure-toxicity relationships for a series of 75 azo and azo-anilide dyes and five diazonium salts were developed using Hydractinia echinata (H. echinata) as model species. In addition, based on these relationships, predictions for 58 other azo-dyes were made. The experimental results showed that the measured effectiveness Mlog(1/MRC50) does not depend on the number of azo groups or the ones corresponding to metobolites, but it is influenced by the number of anilide groups, as well as by the substituents’ positions within molecules. The conformational analysis pointed out the intramolecular hydrogen bonds, especially the simple tautomerization of quinoidic (STOH) or aminoidic (STNH2) type. The effectiveness is strongly influenced by the “push-pull” electronic effect, specific to two hydroxy or amino groups separated by an azo moiety (double alternate tautomery, (DAT), to the –COOH or –SO3H groups which are located in ortho or para position with respect to the azo group. The levels of the lipophylic/hydrophilic, electronic and steric equilibriums, pointed out by the Mlog(1/MRC50) values, enabled the calculation of their average values Clog(1/MRC50) (“Köln model”), characteristic to one derivative class (class isotoxicity). The azo group reduction and the hydrolysis of the amido/peptidic group are two concurrent enzymatic reactions, which occur with different reaction rates and mechanisms. The products of the partial biodegradation are aromatic amines. No additive or synergic effects are noticed among them.

Oleanolic and ursolic acids are natural triterpenic compounds with pentacyclic cholesterol-like structures which gives them very low water solubility, a significant disadvantage in terms of bioavailability. We previously reported the synthesis of inclusion complexes between these acids and cyclodextrins, as well as their in vivo evaluation on chemically induced skin cancer experimental models. In this study the synergistic activity of the acid mixture included inside hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HPGCD) was monitored using in vitro tests and in vivo skin cancer models. The coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) was used to characterize the interactions as synergism, additivity or antagonism. Our results revealed an increased antitumor activity for the mixture of the two triterpenic acids, both single and in complex with cyclodextrin, thus proving their complementary biologic activities.