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Cystic echinococcosis is considered as an emerging zoonosis that can develop asymptomatically for years, clinically nonpathognomic. The disease is of public health importance due to often late, difficult diagnostics, uncertain results of treatment, the need to remove hydatid cysts surgically in advanced cases, and poor prognosis in untreated patients. Six Polish female patients with diagnosed cystic echinococcosis (CE) were examined. DNA extracted from the liver and lung samples served for amplification of mitochondrial nad1 gene fragment. Sequence alignments of 5 isolates showed identity with the pig strain, Echinococcus canadensis G7. One case was in 100% identical with Echinococcus ortleppi G5, the cattle strain. These data demonstrate first report of E. ortleppi , regarded as extinct species, causing human cystic echinococcosis in Poland, where the most frequent causative agent of human CE is E. canadensis .

Aim: Aging is usually associated with hyperleptinemia and leptin resistance, both increasing the risk of age-related diseases. It was relevant to establish if healthily aging, non-obese individuals develop changes in leptin, the soluble leptin receptor (OB-Re), free leptin index (FLI), in methylation of the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) promoter, and in the expression of long (OB-Rb) and short (OB-Ra) leptin receptor isoforms., Methods: We analyzed these parameters in 38 young (aged 26.8 ± 3.6 years), 37 elderly (aged 64.7 ± 3.1 years) and 39 long-lived (aged 94.2 ± 3.7 years) healthy, non-obese Polish Caucasians., Results: In elderly men, the median concentration of leptin and the median FLI were significantly higher than in young men (P = 0.009 and P = 0.007, respectively), which was probably partly due to a higher mean body mass index of the elderly study participants. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the expression of functionally active OB-Rb did not depend on age or sex, whereas the expression of OB-Ra was lower in the elderly and long-lived groups than in the young group (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.002, respectively), mostly due to changes observed in women. Most likely, this age-related decrease was not due to hypermethylation of the LEPR promoter, as methylation of the +20 to +281 fragment of the CpG island did not change with age., Conclusions: In healthy, non-obese individuals, only some elements of the leptin axis slightly change with age. On that basis, we suggest that proper function of this axis might be required for this particular phenotype of aging. The present results should, however, be replicated in prospective studies and in other ethnic groups., (© 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Background: Clinical and biochemical predictors of extreme longevity would be useful in geriatric practice but have still not been clearly defined., Methods: To identify the best nongenetic predictors of survival in centenarians, we examined 340 individuals aged 100+ years. A detailed questionnaire was completed, and comprehensive geriatric assessment and blood analyses were performed. Survival of study participants was checked annually over the period of 10 years., Results: In the univariate Cox proportional hazards model, a longer survival of centenarians was correlated with a higher adjusted Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE(adj)) score (p < .000001), higher Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and adjusted Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL(adj)) scores (p < .000001 and p = .00008, respectively), and younger age at the time of testing (p = .005). Blood pressure, lipid profile, and C-reactive protein and hemoglobin concentrations were not associated with survival. Multivariate analysis including age, sex, and the MMSE(adj) and ADL scores showed that both MMSE(adj) and ADL predicted survival (HR = 0.978 per each MMSE(adj) point, 95% CI: 0.964-0.993, p = .004; HR = 0.900 per each ADL point, 95% CI: 0.842-0.962, p = .002, respectively). In multivariate analysis with the ADL score substituted by the IADL(adj) score, the only predictor of survival was MMSE(adj) (HR = 0.973 per each MMSE(adj) point, 95% CI: 0.958-0.988, p = .0006)., Conclusions: Cognitive and functional performances are predictors of survival in centenarians., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Liver transplantation (OLTx) is an optimal method of treatment of end-stage liver failure. It gives a chance to get back to an active life. 80-90% of patients survive over 1 year after liver transplantation with a perspective of a long life.Recently more attention is being paid to health related quality of life (QoL). It is considered as a combination of physical and mental condition, social and economical state and somatic experience. The aim of the study was to analyze patient's QoL after OLTx compared to the condition before OLTx., Material/methods: 123 patients 1-12 years after transplantation were included in the study. The study was conducted in Outpatients Clinic of Immunology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine Department and Transplantation Medicine and Nephrology Department of Warsaw Medical University between October 2007 and January 2008. Original questionnaire was used, consisting of 8 general questions and 44 detailed questions concerning pre- and posttransplant period. Information about physical condition (health, mobility, basic functions, drug side effects), mental condition (anxiety, happiness, cognition disorders), social function (family, friends, work) and economic status were gathered. "Never, sometimes, often, very often" score was used., Results: Majority of subjects de fi ned their quality of life and physical condition before transplantation as poor, and post transplantation - as good. The respondent's mental condition didn't differ much before and after transplantation. Level of satisfaction was higher after transplantation. Health condition in some cases affected patients' family life, however it often devastated their social life before OLTx. Most patients were on disability pension and after transplantation they indicated the influence of health on their financial condition., Conclusions: The quality of life after liver transplantation gets better and it's de fi ned as good or very good. During the analysis of QoL a difference between conditions before and after LTX wasn't observed.