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Background and Objectives: Allergy to dust mites (HDMs) plays an important role in atopic dermatitis (AD). However, the role of this allergy in other dermatoses is little known. The aim of this study was to assess hypersensitivity to HDMs in patients with AD or hand disease using the basophil activation test. Material and Methods: A total of 52 patients with AD, 57 with hand eczema disease, and 68 healthy volunteers qualified for this study. Diagnosis was based on the Hanifin and Rajka criteria, dermatological assessment, and exclusion of other dermatoses. The participants underwent skin prick tests (SPTs), a basophil activation test (BAT) with D. pteronyssinus allergen extract, and the concentration of specific IgE (sIgE) for the same allergen in blood serum was determined. Results: Positive results in all tests (SPT, sIgE, and BAT) were obtained (24 (46.2%) patients with AD, 9 (15.8%) with hand disease, and none in the control group for p < 0.05). The results of the SPT, sIgE, and BAT correlated with each other in the AD and hand eczema groups (Spearmen correlation test, r = 0.72 or 0.85, p < 0.05). However, the BAT was positive more often than the SPT and sIgE for D. pteronyssinus. Conclusions: House dust mite hypersensitivity is common in patients with AD and eczema. The BAT may be more sensitive for assessing sensitization to house dust mites, especially in patients with hand eczema.

Background: Severe atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex disease requiring systemic treatment. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of combined therapy consisting of dupilumab and sublingual dust mite allergen immunotherapy (SLIT-HDM) in patients with severe AD and HDM allergies. Methods: Patients diagnosed with severe AD were included in this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind 12-month trial; they received SLIT for HDMs and/or dupilumab for 12 months and were compared with patients on cyclosporine. The primary outcomes for the treatment arms were changes in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), body surface area (%BSA), and Investigator Global Assessment (IsGA) over 12 months. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients who achieved IsGA success and reduced medication scores. Results: Significant improvements were observed in all analysed groups after 12 months of therapy based on the EASI, %BSA, and IsGA. However, the most substantial changes were observed in the groups treated with dupilumab or a combination of SLIT-HDM and dupilumab. Additionally, the proportion of patients who achieved an IsGA reduction was significantly greater in the group receiving combination therapy than in the other groups (9/14 [64% of the group receiving SLIT-HDM] vs. 11/14 [73% of the group receiving dupilumab] vs. 15/17 [88% of the group receiving dupilumab and SLIT-HDM] vs. 7/13 [53% of the group receiving cyclosporine]) (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In patients with severe AD and HDM allergies, combination treatment with dupilumab and allergen immunotherapy for HDMs may increase the therapeutic benefit over treatment with these methods separately.

Determination of the hypericin–photodynamic (HY–PDT) effect on the secretion of cytokines secreted by the skin cells, may be the basis for using the immunomodulatory effect of photodynamic action in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic and immunomodulatory effects of hypericin (HY) in photodynamic therapy (PDT) performed in vitro on cultures of selected skin cell lines. The study used two human cell lines, primary dermal fibroblast (HDFa) and primary epidermal keratinocytes (HEKa). The MTT test was used to define the metabolic activity of treated cells. Cell supernatants subjected to sublethal PDT were assessed to determine the interleukins: IL-2, IL-8, IL-10, IL-11, IL-19, IL-22, and metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1). The results confirm the destructive effect of HY–PDT and the immunomodulatory effects of sublethal doses on the selected skin cells, depending on the concentration of HY and the light doses. No statistically significant differences were noted in IL-2 and IL-10 concentration after HY–PDT for HEKa and HDFa lines. After using HY–PDT, the concentration of IL-8, MMP-1, IL-22, and IL-11 significantly decreased in the HEKa line. Moreover, the concentration of IL-19 and MMP-1 significantly decreased in the HDFa line. The concentration of IL-11 in the HDFa line after using only the HY, without the light, increased but decreased after HY–PDT. Our experiment confirmed that HY–PDT has not only a cytotoxic effect but, used in sublethal doses, also presents immunomodulatory properties. These may be an advantage of HY–PDT when used in the treatment of persistent skin inflammation, connected with the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines resistant to conventional treatment methods.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an abnormal inflammatory response in the skin to food, environmental IgE, or non-IgE allergens. This disease belongs to a group of inflammatory diseases that affect both children and adults. In highly developed countries, AD is diagnosed twice as often in children than in adults, which may possibly be connected to increased urbanization. The immune system’s pathomechanisms of AD involve humoral mechanisms with IgE, cellular T lymphocytes, dendritic cells occurring in the dermis, Langerhans cells occurring in the epidermis, and other cells infiltrating the site of inflammation (eosinophils, macrophages, mast cells, neutrophils, and basophils). Cytokines are small proteins that affect the interaction and communication between cells. This review characterizes cytokines and potential aspects of the treatment of atopic dermatitis, as well as new strategies that are currently being developed, including targeting cytokines and their receptors.

Antibiotics as environmental pollutants can affect both the morphology and physiology of higher plants. The first visible symptoms of damage caused by antibiotics are chlorotic changes resulting from the degradation of chlorophyll and the impairment of the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, followed by damage to PS II and disturbances in the electron flow between the photosystems. Research on the effects of antibiotics, on plants has recently intensified, however, our understanding of this problem is still far from complete. This paper provides a review of current data on the impacts antibiotics on plant photosynthetic apparatus.

Research on the development of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of brain tumors has shown promise in the treatment of this highly aggressive form of brain cancer. Analysis of both in vivo studies and clinical studies shows that photodynamic therapy can provide significant benefits, such as an improved median rate of survival. The use of photodynamic therapy is characterized by relatively few side effects, which is a significant advantage compared to conventional treatment methods such as often-used brain tumor surgery, advanced radiotherapy, and classic chemotherapy. Continued research in this area could bring significant advances, influencing future standards of treatment for this difficult and deadly disease.

Intensive poultry production may result in substantial emissions of pollutants into the environment, including pharmaceuticals and other chemicals used in poultry farming. The objective of this study was to verify the presence of ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, carbamazepine, metoclopramide, trimethoprim, diflufenican, flufenacet, and p,p′-DDE in soil and water in the immediate vicinity of a poultry manure heap. The influence of soil contaminants on the growth and selected physiological parameters of seed peas and common duckweed (as indicator plants) was tested. It has been proven that the cultivation of pea plants on soil coming from the close proximity of a heap of manure results in a deterioration of both morphological parameters (root length, shoot length) and physiological parameters (chlorophyll absorption, aminolevulinic acid dehydrogenase (ALAD) activity, aminolevulinic acid (ALA) content, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial damage or production of HSP70 proteins). Similarly, water extracts from cultivated soils had a significant effect on duckweed, and it was found that contaminant leachates are indeed detectable in soil, groundwater, and deep water. Special attention should, therefore, be paid to the location, methods of storage, and use of poultry fertilizer.

Changes occurring in seeds of two field bean cultivars during long-term storage at −14 °C, +4 °C and +20 °C were examined. It was found that after 33 years of storage at low temperatures, the seeds showed a significant decline in biological quality, and the seeds stored at +20 °C completely lost their germination capacity. As the seeds aged, changes in their phenolic composition, concentrations of polyamines and activity of enzymes associated with redox homeostasis and phenolic metabolism could be easily observed. The activity of ascorbate peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in deteriorated seeds was higher than in high-quality seeds. The activity of guaiacol peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase in low-quality seeds was decreased. With superoxide dismutase, the pattern was less clear-cut and depended on both seed biological quality and cultivar. Whole seed levels of spermine and spermidine decreased in ageing seeds and were lowest in non-germinating seeds. However, the opposite pattern was observed regarding spermine and spermidine, as well as putrescine, in seed coats. The obtained results indicate that changes in the activity of redox and protective systems in seeds have a clear relationship with the seed biological quality and can be detected even at a moderate level of seed deterioration. The analyses of such changes can significantly facilitate the assessment of seed quality and can therefore be of interest for seed companies and seed banks.

In this article, we reviewed the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for breast cancer (BC) in animal models. These in vivo models imitate the cancer disease progression, aid diagnosis, as well as create opportunities to assess treatment during the approval process for the new drug. BC ranks first among women’s cancers. Nowadays, there are many diagnostic methods and therapy options for BC but the majority of them have severe side effects. This article discusses the advantages and some disadvantages of the use of small and large animals used for BC models. A literature review showed that the majority of studies have used large animal models, and recently there has been more interest in developing BC in small animal models. BC cell lines such as MCF-7, BT-474, MDA-MB-231, and 4T1 are commercially available for two-dimensional and three-dimensional in vitro cell cultures and subcutaneous models. The purpose of this article is to discuss the performance of PDT in animal models and its further clinical implications. PDT is known to be a non-invasive therapy, which uses monochromatic light and energy to excite photosensitizers (PSs) for the generation of reactive oxygen species as the required factors. Herein, we discuss the use of five photosensitizers in BC models such as chlorin e6 (Ce6), methylene blue, indocyanine green, 5-aminolevulinic acid, and meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl)chlorin. The database PubMed and Scopus were searched for keywords: ‘photodynamic therapy’, ‘breast cancer’, ‘animal model’, ‘clinical studies’, and ‘photosensitizer(s)’. The PDT search results in animal experiments and its effect on a living organism indicate the possibility of its application in clinical trials on women with local and disseminated BC. The availability and accessibility of small and large BC animal models enable the progress and trial of cancer drugs for innovative technologies and new diagnostics and treatments.

The alarming increase in the number of advanced-stage prostate cancer cases with poor prognosis has led to a search for innovative methods of treatment. In response to the need for implementation of new and innovative methods of cancer tissue therapy, we studied photodynamic action in excised prostate tissue in vitro as a model for photodynamic therapy. To ascertain the effects of photodynamic action in prostate tissue, Rose Bengal (0.01 to 0.05 mM) was used as a photosensitizer in the presence of oxygen and light to generate singlet oxygen in tissues in vitro. Five preset concentrations of Rose Bengal were chosen and injected into prostate tissue samples (60 samples with 12 replications for each RB concentration) that were subsequently exposed to 532 nm light. The effects of irradiation of the Rose Bengal infused tissue samples were determined by histopathological analysis. Histopathological examination of prostate samples subjected to photodynamic action revealed numerous changes in the morphology of the neoplastic cells and the surrounding tissues. We conclude that the morphological changes observed in the prostate cancer tissues were a result of the photogeneration of cytotoxic singlet oxygen. The tissue damage observed post photodynamic action offers an incentive for continued in vitro investigations and future in vivo clinical trials.

Colonoscopy is a fairly common test that serves both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It has been considered the gold standard in colorectal cancer screening for several years. Due to the nature of the examination, various types of complications may occur. The purpose of this analysis is to describe the various complications related to the period of preparation for colonoscopy among hospitalized patients, including life-threatening ones, in order to know how to avoid complications while preparing for a colonoscopy. We analyzed the nursing and medical reports of 9962 patients who were prepared for colonoscopy between 2005 and 2016. The frequency of various side effects associated with intensive bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy was assessed. In justified cases, additional medical data were collected from patients, their families or from other doctors providing advice to patients after complications. Out of 9962 patients prepared for colonoscopy, 180 procedures were discontinued due to complications and side effects, and in these cases no colonoscopy was performed. The most common complications were: vomiting; epistaxis; loss of consciousness with head injury; abdominal pain; acute diarrhea; symptoms of choking; heart rhythm disturbances; dyspnea; fractures of limbs and hands; acute coronary syndrome; hypotension; hypertension; cerebral ischemia; severe blood glucose fluctuations; increased muscle contraction and allergic reactions. In addition to the documentation of our own research, several works of other research groups were also analyzed. Currently, the literature does not provide data on the frequency and type of complications in the preparation period for colonoscopy. The advantage of our work is the awareness of the possibility of serious complications and postulating the necessary identification of threats. Individualization of the recommended procedures and increased supervision of patients undergoing bowel cleansing procedure, we hope, will reduce the occurrence of complications and side effects.

Background and objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis (PS) are systemic inflammatory diseases with complex and distinct immune mechanisms. That the same factors may aggravate both diseases cannot be ruled out. The aim of this study was to assess the potential differences between a sensitization to inhaled allergens and the immunological profiles of patients diagnosed with AD and PS in comparison with healthy controls. Materials and methods: A total of 139 patients with AD, 115 with PS, and 142 controls were included in the prospective study. Patients were eligible if they were diagnosed with mild to severe AD or PS and between 18 and 65 years of age. In all the participants, the serum concentrations of specific IgE (sIgE) for common inhaled allergens were measured. In all the subjects, the cytokine serum blood profiles for TNF-α, IFN-γ, Il-2, Il-4, Il-5, Il-6, Il-8, Il-12, Il-17, Il-18, Il-22, and Il-24 were measured via an ELISA. Results: The patients with AD had positive sIgE results more frequently than the patients with PS and the controls (113 vs. 36 vs. 21, respectively). A sensitization to mites was dominant in the patients with AD (p < 0.05), and a sensitization to Aspergillus was dominant in the patients with PS (p < 0.05). The patients with multiple allergies to inhaled allergens had a lower risk of developing PS (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.43–0.86) but a greater risk of severe AD (OR = 3.77; 95% CI: 3.25–3.96). The mean concentrations of the most tested cytokines were comparable in the patients with AD and PS. However, high serum concentrations of Il-4, Il-5, and Il-6 were only dominant in the AD group. There were no relationships between the increased serum concentrations of individual cytokines and allergies to the individually examined allergens. Conclusion: Inhalation-dependent IgE sensitizations were prevalent in the AD patients but were also possible in the PS patients; they were often without clinical manifestations in the latter group. The investigated cytokine profiles indicated their high convergence in the studied patients and confirmed the active inflammatory nature of AD and PS.

In this study, the ability of Lemna minor L. to recover to normal growth, after being degraded in a tetracycline-containing medium, was extensively investigated. The plants were exposed to tetracycline (TC) at concentrations of 1, 2.5, and 10 mM. Subsequently, their physiological status was analysed against the following criteria: rate of plant growth; free radical accumulation; antioxidant enzyme activity; chlorophyll content; HSP70 protein content; cell membrane permeability, and mitochondrial activity. The study showed that duckweed can considerably recover from the damage caused by antibiotics, within a week of cessation of stress. Of the plant properties analysed, mitochondrial activity was the most sensitive to antibiotic-induced disturbances. After transferring the plants to a tetracycline-free medium, all plant parameters improved significantly, except for the mitochondrial activity in the plants grown on the medium containing the highest dose of tetracycline. In the plants treated with this antibiotic at the concentration of 10 mM, the proportion of dead mitochondria increased and was as high as 93% after one week from the beginning of the recovery phase, even after the transfer to the tetracycline-free medium.

Chronic and infected leg ulcers (LUs) are painful, debilitating, resistant to antibiotics, and immensely reduce a patient’s quality of life. The purpose of our study was to demonstrate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of infected chronic LUs. Patients were randomized into two experimental groups: the first group received 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) (10 patients), and the second group of 10 patients received local octenidine dihydrochloride (Octenilin gel) exposed to a placebo light source with an inserted filter that mimiced red light. In the PDT group, we used 20% ALA topically applied for 4 hrs and irradiation from a Diomed laser source with a wavelength of 630 nm at a fluency of 80 J/cm2. ALA-PDT was performed 10 times during a 14-day hospitalization in 10 patients of both sexes aged 40–85 years with chronic leg ulcers. Treatments were carried out at 3-week intervals for 3–5 cycles. At 8-month follow-up with the PDT group, complete remission (CR) was obtained in four patients (40%), partial response (>50% reduction in ulcer diameter) in four patients (40%), and no response in two patients (20%) who additionally developed deterioration of the local condition with swelling, erythema, and inflammation. To assess the degree of pain during the trials, we used a numeric rating scale (NRS). From the preliminary results obtained, we concluded that PDT can be used to treat leg ulcers as a minimally invasive and effective method with no serious side effects, although further studies on a larger group of patients with LUs are warranted.

Seed vigour and viability, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, and proteomic profiles were analysed in field bean (Vicia faba var. minor) (Vicia faba var. minor) seeds (two cultivars) subjected to dry storage at −14 °C or +20 °C for 30 years. The seeds stored at −14 °C retained very high germinability (91–98%) until the end of the experiments, while seeds from the same lots but stored at room temperature completely lost viability. The deterioration of seeds stored at +20 °C was also manifested by a vast (4- to 6-fold) increase in leachate electroconductivity, and the changes in synchronous spectra and proteomic profiles. To carry out detailed analyses of seed proteins, protein extracts were pre-purified and divided into albumin, vicilin, and legumin. Only one protein, superoxide dismutase, was more abundant in deteriorated seeds (of one cultivar) compared to the high vigour seeds. The results show that seed deterioration strongly and specifically affects the contents of some storage proteins. Moreover, the colour of seed coats changes gradually, and seeds stored at −14 °C were light brown, while those constantly exposed to +20 °C turned black. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy showed that this change of colour was caused by formation of oxidized and condensed phenols and that the phenol content in seed coats decreased parallel to seed deterioration.