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Introduction and objective A neurodegenerative disease, which is primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) through damage of the optic nerve, leads to irreversible loss of vision. Sirtuins are responsible for regulating the metabolism involved in brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders. Previous studies revealed that upregulation of SIRT1 has an important protective effect against various ocular diseases, such as cataract, retinal degeneration, optic neuritis and uveitis. Moreover, some experimental studies in animal models demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of SIRT1 against retinal and optic nerve damage. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore, for the first time, rs7895833 polymorphism of SIRT1 gene and its influence on the risk occurrence and progression of POAG in the Polish population. Material and methods The study included 187 glaucoma patients and 171 controls.DNA was isolated from peripheral blood. Gene polymorphism was analyzed by restriction of the fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR). Results A statistically significant correlation was observed between the AG variant of the rs7895833 polymorphism of the SIRT1, and the occurrence of POAG. Moreover, a statistically significant correlation was observed between the rs7895833 polymorphism of the SIRT1, depending on the nerve fibre layer analyzer (GDx) (p = 0.034). Conclusions Analysis of the rs7895833 polymorphism SIRT1 gene in the Polish population with POAG shows a higher prevalence of heterozygote A/G polymorphism than the control group, and the correlation between the nerve fibre layer analyzer (GDx) and SIRT1 gene polymorphism, which suggest that variant A / G polymorphism rs7895833 of the SIRT1 gene may have a protective effect on the occurrence of JPOK in the Polish population.

Objective The aim of this prospective cohort study was to translate, validate and perform a cultural adaptation of the Polish version of the Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire (P-SSSQ), a disease-specific questionnaire for assessing symptom severity, physical function and satisfaction with treatment in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Material and methods Patients were prospectively recruited at two orthopedic centres in Krakow, Poland, between January 2011 – October 2016. During the interview, each patient completed the P-SSSQ, SF-36 Health Survey, and a demographic data questionnaire. After translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and pilot testing, assessment was made of the internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness of the P-SSSQ subscales. Results Finally, 171 consecutive patients were included in the study. Cronbach’s alpha and ICC values were above 0.8 for all three subscales of the P-SSSQ. The symptom severity domain was highly negatively correlated with physical functioning and bodily pain of SF-36, with Pearson correlation coefficients of -0.68 and -0.63, respectively. The physical function domain was highly negatively correlated with physical functioning (r = -0.62). The satisfaction subscale was also highly negatively correlated with the change in the symptom severity (r = −0.61) and physical function scale (r = −0.65). Conclusions The proposed version of the P-SSSQ showed excellent measurement properties and can be considered validated for use in Polish. It is easy to understand, quick to complete, and the psychometric properties of the original version are maintained.