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Iwona Rotter,1 Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka,2 Danuta Kosik-Bogacka,3 Grażyna Adler,2 Aleksandra Rył,4 Maria Laszczyńska4 1Department of Medical Rehabilitation, 2Department of Gerontobiology, 3Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, 4Department of Histology and Developmental Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland Purpose: Metabolic disorders, including MetS, obesity, and lipid disorders, may be related to genetic factors. Metabolic disorders are associated with decreased TS levels in aging men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between FTO rs9939609, MC4R rs17782313, and PPARɣ rs1801282 polymorphisms and the presence of MetS and its components, the concurrent lipid disorders, as well as sex hormone concentrations. Subjects and methods: This study involved 272 men of Caucasian descent aged 50–75 years. Lipid profile, including TCh, LDL, HDL, and TG, was evaluated by spectrophotometric method. Anthropometric measurements concerned WC and blood pressure. MetS was diagnosed according to the criteria of the IDF. Sex hormone profile, including TST, FTS, E2, DHEAS, and SHBG, was examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Polymorphisms within FTO, MC4R, and PPARɣ genes were identified using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragments length polymorphism. Results: This study did not show links between the analyzed genetic polymorphisms and the presence of MetS, T2DM, HT, and obesity. However, higher concentrations of TCh and LDL were found in men with the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism in the recessive mode of inheritance (P=0.03 and P=0.05, respectively). Lower WC was found to be associated with MC4R rs17782313 gene inherited in the same model (P=0.005). Conclusion: FTO rs9939609, MC4R rs17782313, and PPARɣ rs1801282 polymorphisms seem to have little effect on the incidence of metabolic malfunctions and no effect on androgen-related disorders in the examined middle-aged and elderly men. Keywords: aging men, metabolic syndrome, sex hormones, genes, FTO, MC4R, PPARɣ

Previous research suggested that several genetic polymorphisms are associated with increased risk of is chaemic stroke (IS) in young adults. However, the predictive biomarkers of IS in young adults are still unclear. Our aim was to assess the contribution of modifiable and genetic factors in IS in young adults. In total, 40 stroke patients and 40 healthy controls aged 20 to 50 years were recruited. Data on modifiable factors were collected, then participants were geno typed for seven SNPs linked to throm bophilia: ACE rs1799752, PAI-1 rs1799889, APOE rs1412 and rs429358, FV rs6025 and rs1800595, and FII rs62623459. Significantly increased risk factors: hypertension and dyslipidaemia in stroke patients compared with the controls: 50.0 % vs 27.5 % and 75.0 % vs 40.0% (P = 0.039 and P = 0.002, respectively) were observed. Stroke patients compared with controls did not differ in distribution of ACE, APOE, FV, and FII variants. The 4G4G homozygotes of the PAI-1 gene were significantly more prevalent in stroke patients compared to the controls: 42.5 % vs 17.5 %, (P = 0.033). In the group with the small vessel occlusion sub type of stroke, statistically significant over representation of 4G4G homozygotes and frequency of the 4G allele compared with controls: 57.1 % vs 17.5 % and 0.7 vs 0.45 (P = 0.026 and P = 0.03, respectively) were observed. Independent predictors of stroke incident were: dyslipidaemia (OR (95% CI) = 4.2 (1.4–12.4)) and 4G4G geno type (OR (95% CI) = 3.9 (1.1–13.7)). These results confirm the contribution of dyslipidaemia and 4G4G genotype in the increased risk of IS in young Bosnian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the SEAC4RS campaign in 2013, inflight measurements of light-absorption by aerosol in biomass burning and agriculture fire plumes were collected along with concomitant measurements of aerosol extinction, scattering, and black carbon mass concentration. Here, we compare three measurements of aerosol absorption coefficients: from a photoacoustic spectrometer (PAS), a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP), and a continuous light absorption photometer (CLAP). Each of these absorption measurements was collected in three visible spectral regions: red, green, and blue (although the precise wavelength and bandwidth vary with each instrument). The absorption measurements were compared during the plumes, in the boundary layer, and in the free troposphere. The slopes from the comparison ranged from 0.6 to 1.24. For biomass burning plumes, the uncertainty in the absorption measurements translates into a range in single scattering albedos of 0.93-0.94 at a wavelength of 660 nm, 0.94-0.95 at 532 nm and 0.92-0.95 at 405 nm. Overall, the aerosol absorption instruments agreed within their stated accuracies. Comparisons with simultaneous measurements of refractive black carbon mass concentration (collected by a single particle soot photometer), were used to derive the mass absorption coefficients (MAC). For all wavelengths, the MAC was high by greater than a factor of three compared to the expected MAC for black carbon. © 2018 American Association for Aerosol Research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to inconsistent results of APOE variants in the survival of pregnancy we investigated the potential relationship of APOE rs7412 and rs429358 with pregnancy loss (PL) in Bosnian women. We enrolled 154 women with PL. The minimum week of miscarriage was 6, while the maximum was 28. As a control group, an equal number of mothers with at least one live-born child was included. All women were recruited from the Institution of Health Protection of Women and Motherhood in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Genotyping was performed by real- time PCR at the Department of General Pharmacology and Pharmacoeconomics, Pomeranian Medical University. The prevalence of genotypes E2/E3, E2/E4, E3/E3, E3/E4, E4/E4 in the group with and without PL were: 14.3 %, 1.3 %, 70.8 %, 12.3 %, 1.3 %, and 13.6 %, 1.3 %, 70.1 %, 14.3 %, 0.7 %, respectively. The frequency of the E4/E4 genotype in women with 1-2 and 3-4 PL compared to women without PL did not differ significantly between those three groups (P value = 0.0712). The frequencies of alleles ԑ2, ԑ3, ԑ4 in the group with and without PL Received April 6, 2018. Accepted May 30, 2018. This work was funded in part by the Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland (decision ref. No. WNoZ-307-01/S/13/2017). Corresponding author: Grażyna Adler, Department of Studies in Antropogenetics and Biogerontology, Pomeranian Medical University, Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland. Phone/Fax: (+48) 914 800 958; e-mail: gra2@op.pl Abbreviations: B&H - Bosnia and Herzegovina, HWE - Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium, PL - pregnancy loss, RPL - recurrent pregnancy loss. were: 6.8 %, 85.1 %, 8.1 % and 7.5 %, 84.1 %, 8.4 %, respectively, and did not differ significantly. We conclude that our study does not confirm rs7412 and rs429358 as a potential risk factor for PL in the studied group. To elucidate the relationship between PL and variants of the APOE gene, studies with a larger sample size and placental histomorphology and genetic diagnosis are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is insufficiently known. It is suggested that genes play a crucial role in ASD but additional environmental factors to exacerbate the syndrome are needed. Recently, the inflammatory factors in ASD that may predispose to the disorder attract a great attention. Therefore, the aim of this article was to review the literature on the possible association of the immune system malfunctions with the risk of developing ASD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Available articles from PubMed and Google Scholar were analyzed using time descriptors: 1996-2015 and key words: autism spectrum disorder, cytokines and immune system. RESULTS: Individuals with ASD demonstrate aberrant immune response in central nervous system, peripheral blood and gastrointestinal tract. CONCLUSIONS: Immune malfunctions may play a role in developing ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The original aim of the study was to determine, in a double-blind 3-arm crossover human trial (n = 7), the effect of supplemental levels of iron (25 mg) and zinc (30 mg) on β-carotene (synthetic) bioavailability (10 h postprandial). However, despite the high dose of supplemental β-carotene (15 mg) consumed with the high fat (18 g), dairy-based breakfast test meal, there was a negligible postprandial response in plasma and triglyceride rich fraction β-carotene concentrations. We then systematically investigated the possible reasons for this low bioavailability of β-carotene., Methods: We determined (1) if the supplemental β-carotene could be micellised and absorbed by epithelial cells, using a Caco-2 cell model, (2) if the fat from the test meal was sufficiently bioavailable to facilitate β-carotene bioavailability, (3) the extent to which the β-carotene could have been metabolised and converted to retinoic acid/retinol and (4) the effect of the test meal matrix on the β-carotene bioaccessibility (in vitro digestion) and Caco-2 cellular uptake., Results: We found that (1) The supplemental β-carotene could be micellised and absorbed by epithelial cells, (2) the postprandial plasma triacylglycerol response was substantial (approximately 75-100 mg dL -1 over 10 h), indicating sufficient lipid bioavailability to ensure β-carotene absorption, (3) the high fat content of the meal (approximately 18 g) could have resulted in increased β-carotene metabolism, (4) β-carotene bioaccessibility from the dairy-based test meal was sixfold lower (p < 0.05) than when digested with olive oil., Conclusion: The low β-carotene bioavailability is probably due to a combination of the metabolism of β-carotene to retinol by BCMO1 and interactions of β-carotene with the food matrix, decreasing the bioaccessibility., Trail Registration: The human trail was retrospectively registered (ClinicalTrail.gov ID: NCT05840848)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The aim of the present study was to analyze the association of the TLR2 (Toll-like receptor 2 gene) 2258G>A (rs5743708), TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4 gene) 896A>G (rs4986790), and TLR4 1196C>T (rs4986791) polymorphisms with dental caries in Polish children. The participants, 261 15-year-old children, were divided into two groups: 82 cases (i.e., children with DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) index >5, having either moderate or high caries experience, assigned as the "higher" caries experience group) and 179 controls (i.e., children with DMFT ≤ 5, having either low or very low caries experience, assigned as the "lower" caries experience group). Genomic DNA was isolated from buccal swabs, and genotyping was determined by means of real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction). There were no significant differences in the genotype or allele distributions in all tested SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) between children with "higher" caries experience and those with "lower" caries experience. TLR4 haplotype frequencies did not differ significantly between cases and controls. In an additional analysis with another case definition applied (subjects with DMFT ≥ 1 were assigned as "cases", whereas children with DMFT = 0 were assigned as "controls"), no significant differences in the TLR2 and TLR4 genotype, allele frequencies, and TLR4 haplotype frequencies were found between the case and the control groups. The results of the present study broaden our knowledge on the potential genetic factors that might affect caries risk and suggest that TLR2 rs5743708 and TLR4 rs4986790 and rs4986791 SNPs are not associated with dental caries susceptibility in Polish children.

It has long been known that chronic inflammatory systemic diseases, such as psoriasis, pose a high risk of developing comorbidities. In everyday clinical practice, it is therefore of particular importance to identify patients who have an individually increased risk profile. In patients with psoriasis, the comorbidity patterns "metabolic syndrome", "cardiovascular comorbidity" and "mental illness" were identified as particularly relevant in epidemiological studies depending on the duration and severity of the disease. In the everyday care of patients with psoriasis in dermatological practice, the use of an interdisciplinary checklist for risk analysis and the initiation of professional follow-up care has proven valuable. On the basis of an existing checklist, the contents were critically evaluated by an interdisciplinary group of experts and a guideline-oriented update was prepared. In the opinion of the authors, the new analysis sheet represents a practicable, factually focused and updated tool for comorbidity risk assessment in patients with moderate and severe psoriasis., (© 2023. The Author(s).)