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Abstract Introduction Valproic acid is a commonly used anti-epileptic drug. Hematological toxicities are among the occasionally observed adverse effects of this medication. Case presentation We present the case of a 13-year-old Caucasian boy who demonstrated mild anemia 12 months after the introduction of valproic acid therapy. A bone marrow biopsy revealed maturation arrest of proerythroblasts. Conclusion Prompt diagnosis and valproic acid discontinuation resulted in the patient’s recovery.

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by the presence of depressive symptoms. Material and methods Cytokine and deiodinase iodothyronines (DIOs) levels were evaluated in COPD patients and patients diagnosed with depressive disorder and control individuals. using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) levels were higher in COPD and depression patients than in control individuals. DIO2 were significantly lower in COPD and recurrent depressive disorder (rDD) patients than in controls. Conclusions Changes in the levels of IL-1β, TNF-a and DIO2 in COPD patients may explain the presence of depression in COPD patients.

Abstract Background TrkA (encoded by NTRK1 gene), the high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor for neurotrophins, is involved in neural crest cell differentiation. Its expression has been reported to be associated with a favourable prognosis in neuroblastoma. Therefore, the entire coding sequence of NTRK1 gene has been analysed in order to identify mutations and/or polymorphisms which may alter TrkA receptor expression. Methods DNA was extracted from neuroblastomas of 55 Polish and 114 Italian patients and from peripheral blood leukocytes of 158 healthy controls. Denaturing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (DHPLC) and Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism (SSCP) analysis were used to screen for sequence variants. Genetic changes were confirmed by direct sequencing and correlated with biological and clinical data. Results Three previously reported and nine new single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected. c.1810C>T polymorphism present in 8.7% of cases was found to be an independent marker of disease recurrence (OR = 13.3; p = 0.009) associated with lower survival rates (HR = 4.45 p = 0.041). c.1810C>T polymorphism's unfavourable prognostic value was most significant in patients under 18 months of age with no MYCN amplification (HR = 26; p = 0.008). In-silico analysis of the c.1810C>T polymorphism suggests that the substitution of the corresponding amino acid residue within the conservative region of the tyrosine kinase domain might theoretically interfere with the functioning of the TrkA protein. Conclusions NTRK1 c.1810C>T polymorphism appears to be a new independent prognostic factor of poor outcome in neuroblastoma, especially in children under 18 months of age with no MYCN amplification.

Depressive disorder is a complex mental health condition in which the etiopathogenesis involves several factors. Suitable biomarkers for the development of depression have not yet been established. Alterations in cytokines are assumed to be involved in the pathophysiology of depressive disorder. Adipokines (also known as adipocytokines) are important factors that not only regulate the energy balance but also regulate the inflammatory and immune responses. This study investigated the serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, chemerin, and fetuin A and the possible role of these adipokines in depressive disorder. We recruited a total of 73 patients diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder (rDD) and 54 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Serum adipocytokines were determined using ELISA kits (R&D, USA). The serum levels of the investigated molecules between depressive patients and HCs were compared, and diagnostic values were evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method for discriminating depressive patients from HCs. Correlations between the molecules and clinical variables were also evaluated. Patients with rDD had lower levels of serum adiponectin and chemerin and higher levels of serum leptin, resistin and fetuin A (p < 0.05) vs. controls. Moreover, ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of above set of adipocytkines were >0.7, with a sensitivity and specificity over 80% in discriminating patients with rDD from HCs. Conclusions: These results suggest that circulating adipocytokies may hold promise as biomarkers for the diagnosis of rDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic and progressive systemic disease characterized by the occurrence of inflammation and later ossification in the sacroiliac joints, spine joints, peripheral joints and tendons. It causes pain, swelling, limitation of mobility and partial or complete stiffness of the spine joints. AS is the second most common inflammatory disease of the joints right after rheumatoid arthritis. In most patients, the first symptoms appear between 15 and 40 years of life. In 90% of patients, the presence of HLA-B27 antigen is found. However, not everyone with this antigen will be affected by AS. This disease is 2-3 times more likely to affect men than women.

Background of Inflammatory diseases of the intestines affect more and more people, this is caused not only by genetic determinants but also by environmental conditions and lifestyle. Lack of physical activity may affect the symptoms of the disease and increase their intensity, therefore during the remission of the disease it is recommended to use training and physiotherapeutic techniques to reduce the symptoms, such as pain, fatigue or reduced quality of life. The below systematic review shows the impact of individual physical trainings and physiotherapeutic techniques on symptoms resulting from inflammatory bowel diseases.

This document presents the results of a study examining the potential use of certain proteins as biomarkers for depressive disorder. The study found that systemic concentrations of IL-18, TGF-β, RANTES, ICAM-1, and uPAR may help identify patients with depressive disorder. The study suggests that a profile of proteins involved in the mechanism of depressive disorder could improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. However, the study has limitations, including a limited selection of serum molecules. The findings may contribute to improving the accuracy of diagnosis and guiding patients towards effective treatment. However, further research with larger sample sizes and consideration of other factors that may affect protein levels is needed. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Depressive disorders are multifactorial diseases in that a variety of factors may play a role in their etiology, including inflammation and abnormalities in the thyroid hormone (TH) metabolism and levels. The purpose of this study was to evaluate iodothyronine deiodinases (DIOs) and DIO-interacting cytokines as possible biomarkers in the diagnosis of depressive disorders. Methods: This study enrolled 73 patients diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder (rDD) and 54 controls. The expressions of DIO1, DIO2, DIO3, IL1B, IL6, TNFA, and IFNG genes, encoding three types of DIOs (1, 2, and 3), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ, were assessed using the polymerase chain reaction in blood cells and an enzymatic immunoassay method in serum. The levels of examined molecules between patients and controls were compared, and correlations and diagnostic values were evaluated. Results: Lower levels of DIO2 and higher levels of IL1B, IL6, and TNFA were found in patients compared to controls. The protein concentrations of DIO1 and DIO2 were lower, while that of DIO3 was higher, in patients than in controls. Serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were also higher in patients than in controls. The area under the curve (AUC) of the IL-1β, IL-6, DIO1, and DIO3 proteins was >0.7 for discriminating patients with rDD from controls. Conclusions: The expressions of genes for DIO2, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α may have a role in the estimation of processes present in depressive disorders. We can cautiously claim that DIO1 and DIO3 and pivotal cytokines, mainly IL-1β and IL-6, may play a role in depression diagnosis, and further studies are suggested to explain the exact role of these molecules in larger samples with more precise methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes belongs to the group of civilization diseases of the 21st century. In Poland, over 3 million people suffer from diabetes, including 1 million being undiagnosed. In the initial stage, this disease does not hinder functioning in everyday life, often people get to know about being affected by this disease during other diagnostic tests related to another illness. As diabetes develops, there may be numerous complications, including: retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, peripheral artery disease. Untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to death, so it is very important to start treatment quickly. The aim of therapy is to balance carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, achieve optimal blood pressure, proper body weight, and prevent complications. This can be achieved by combining a properly selected diet, physical activity and pharmacotherapy.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by the presence of depressive symptoms. Methods: Cytokine and deiodinase iodothyronines (DIOs) levels were evaluated in COPD patients and patients diagnosed with depressive disorder and control individuals. using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results: Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) levels were higher in COPD and depression patients than in control individuals. DIO2 were significantly lower in COPD and recurrent depressive disorder (rDD) patients than in controls. Conclusions: Changes in the levels of IL-1β, TNF-a and DIO2 in COPD patients may explain the presence of depression in COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of the article is intercultural jokes as carriers of stereotypes. After discussing the meaning of humour in a foreign language lesson, the concepts of joke and intercultural joke will be explained. Then, an attempt will be made to answer the following questions: Are intercultural jokes in a foreign language lesson a difficult topic that should be avoided, or do they open up an interesting opportunity to consider ethnic and national stereotypes? How can they be incorporated into the teaching and learning process of foreign languages? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was identification of the immunologic markers of the damage to the eye apparatus at early stages of diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 children. One hundred and eleven children with DM type 1 were divided into two groups: those with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and without retinopathy. All the children had their daily urine albumin excretion, HbA1c, C-peptide measured, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, and ophthalmologic examination. Levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12 in serum were measured by ELISA tests (Quantikine High Sensitivity Human by R&D Systems, Minneapolis, Minn, USA). The NPDR children demonstrated a significantly longer duration of the disease in addition to higher HbA1c, albumin excretion rate, C-reactive protein, systolic blood pressure, as well as TNF-α and IL-6 levels than those without retinopathy. The logistic regression revealed that the risk of NPDR was strongly dependent on TNF-α [(OR 4.01; 95%CI 2.01–7.96)]. TNF-α appears to be the most significant predictor among the analyzed parameters of damage to the eye apparatus. The early introduction of the TNF-α antagonists to the treatment of young patients with DM type 1 who show high serum activity of the TNF-α may prevent them from development of diabetic retinopathy.

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Although in the age of media writing is experiencing a kind of renaissance, and young people cannot imagine everyday life without texts, emails, online discussion forums or virtual instant messaging, writing as part of institutionalized teaching evokes rather negative associations among many learners. Therefore, based on the example of the Polish-German online tandem-tridem project, an attempt will be made in this article to answer the following questions: How can one draw on the positive, out-of-school experiences of learners with (foreign) writing in foreign language classes? How can they be used in the institutionalized process of teaching and learning foreign languages while developing writing skills? What advantages and dangers are associated with the mentioned activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]