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1. The influence of the age of broiler chickens on ileal amino acid (AA) digestibilities in three cereals was examined. The digestibility estimates, including both apparent (AID) and standardised (SID) coefficients, for wheat, triticale and barley samples were determined using 14 and 28 d old broilers of mixed sex, fed diets containing the test grains as the only source of protein. 2. Each assay diet was offered to five replicate cages of 14 and eight birds respectively, for the 14 and 28 day samplings. On both sampling days, the contents from the lower half of the ileum were collected for determination of the AID coefficients. The SID coefficients were calculated using ileal endogenous amino acid (EAA) losses previously determined from birds fed an N-free diet. 3. The average AID for essential AA (EAA) in triticale and barley were significantly higher at 28 day compared to those at 14 days. In contrast, the magnitude of AID coefficients of AA in wheat was found to be in larger in the younger chickens. 4. Correction of AID for EAA losses increased the values of digestibility coefficients by an average of about 7%. The SID values of AA in wheat was not influenced by the age of broilers. The SID of most AA in triticale, and of all the AA in barley, were higher in 28-day-old chickens compared with their 14-day-old counterparts. The results suggested that the SID coefficients of EAA in wheat determined at day 28 could be applied to feed formulations for 14-day-old broilers, but in the case of triticale and barley, the values obtained in older chickens were not applicable in younger birds and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloid proteins are often associated with the onset of diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and many others. However, there is a wide class of functional amyloids that are involved in physiological functions, e.g., formation of microbial biofilms or storage of hormones. Recent studies showed that an amyloid fibril could affect the aggregation of another protein, even from a different species. This may result in amplification or attenuation of the aggregation process. Insight into amyloid cross-interactions may be crucial for better understanding of amyloid diseases and the potential influence of microbial amyloids on human proteins. However, due to the demanding nature of the needed experiments, knowledge of such interactions is still limited. Here, we present PACT (Prediction of Amyloid Cross-interaction by Threading) - the computational method for the prediction of amyloid cross-interactions. The method is based on modeling of a heterogeneous fibril formed by two amyloidogenic peptides. The resulting structure is assessed by the structural statistical potential that approximates its plausibility and energetic stability. PACT was developed and first evaluated mostly on data collected in the AmyloGraph database of interacting amyloids and achieved high values of Area Under ROC (AUC=0.88) and F1 (0.82). Then, we applied our method to study the interactions of CsgA - a bacterial biofilm protein that was not used in our in-reference datasets, which is expressed in several bacterial species that inhabit the human intestines - with two human proteins. The study included alpha-synuclein, a human protein that is involved in Parkinson's disease, and human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), which is involved in type 2 diabetes. In both cases, PACT predicted the appearance of cross-interactions. Importantly, the method indicated specific regions of the proteins, which were shown to play a central role in both interactions. We experimentally confirmed the novel results of the indicated CsgA fragments interacting with hIAPP based on the kinetic characteristics obtained with the ThT assay. PACT opens the possibility of high-throughput studies of amyloid interactions. Importantly, it can work with fairly long protein fragments, and as a purely physicochemical approach, it relies very little on scarce training data. The tool is available as a web server at https://pact.e-science.pl/pact/ . The local version can be downloaded from https://github.com/KubaWojciechowski/PACT ., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy remains one of the most important factors leading to chronic cardiac allograft rejection. When revascularization is needed percutaneous coronary interventions are the method of choice., Aim: To compare the short- and long-term outcomes of cardiac allograft vasculopathy patients treated with everolimus- (EES) or sirolimus-eluting stents (SES)., Material and Methods: Between December 2012 and December 2020, 319 patients after heart transplantation undergoing coronary angiography at our institution were analysed. Subsequently 39 patients underwent de novo angioplasty with second-generation EES. The primary study endpoint was angiographic restenosis as evaluated by quantitative coronary angiography. Secondary outcomes included binary restenosis, target lesion revascularization and cardiac death during the follow-up period (6 months)., Results: Twenty-four patients were treated with EES and 15 treated with SES. No significant differences were observed regarding the rate of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and comorbidities. The patients treated with EES were younger (55.8 ±11.8 vs. 60.1 ±12.2) and less frequently male (79% vs. 93%). The majority of patients were diagnosed with single vessel disease with LAD involvement (62% and 86% in the EES group, and 47% and 56% in the SES group). In 6 months follow-up, late lumen loss was comparable in both groups, 0.19 ±0.15 vs. 0.14 ±0.15, and binary restenosis was 4% and 0% for EES and SES groups, respectively., Conclusions: Second generation drug-eluting stents eluting rapamycin analogues are associated with high direct efficacy of procedures and low incidence of restenosis in a 6-month follow-up., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Termedia Sp. z o. o.)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, incurable disease involving the gastrointestinal tract. It is characterized by complex, unclear pathogenesis, increased prevalence worldwide, and a wide spectrum of extraintestinal manifestations and comorbidities. Recognition of IBD remains challenging and delays in disease diagnosis still poses a significant clinical problem as it negatively impacts disease outcome. The main diagnostic tool in IBD continues to be invasive endoscopy. We aimed to create an IBD machine learning prediction model based on routinely performed blood, urine, and fecal tests. Based on historical patients' data (702 medical records: 319 records from 180 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 383 records from 192 patients with Crohn's disease (CD)), and using a few simple machine learning classificators, we optimized necessary hyperparameters in order to get reliable few-features prediction models separately for CD and UC. Most robust classificators belonging to the random forest family obtained 97% and 91% mean average precision for CD and UC, respectively. For comparison, the commonly used one-parameter approach based on the C-reactive protein (CRP) level demonstrated only 81% and 61% average precision for CD and UC, respectively. Results of our study suggest that machine learning prediction models based on basic blood, urine, and fecal markers may with high accuracy support the diagnosis of IBD. However, the test requires validation in a prospective cohort.

The adipose tissue, apart from storing energy, plays a role of an endocrine organ. One of the most important adipokines secreted by adipose tissue is adiponectin, which is also produced by cardiomyocytes and connective tissue cells within the heart. Adiponectin is known for its beneficial effect on the metabolism and cardiovascular system and its low level is a factor of development of many cardiovascular diseases. Paradoxically, in the course of heart failure, adiponectin level gradually increases with the severity of the disease and higher adiponectin level is a factor of poor prognosis. As a result, there is a growing interest in adiponectin as a marker of heart failure progression and a predictor of prognosis in the course of this disease.

This study aimed to determine and compare standardised ileal digestibility (SID) coefficients of amino acids (AA) in raw seeds of the white-(WF) and the coloured-flowered (CF) field pea cultivar as sole sources of AA in the diets fed to broiler chickens aged 14 or 28 days. An additional purpose was to check the influence of exogenous protease added to pea-based assay diets on AA SID in birds at both ages. Each assay diet was offered to six replicate pens. On both sampling days, the contents from the lower half of the ileum were collected for determination of the apparent digestibility values. The SID coefficients were calculated using ileal endogenous AA losses determined from birds fed an N-free diet. Results indicated a substantial advantage of WF pea over CF pea as a source of digestible Lys, Met, Cys, His, Ile, Leu, Phe, Val, Asp and Glu for 14-day-old chickens. With the exception of methionine and cysteine, there was no significant difference between these two cultivars in the SID values of AA in 28-day-old birds. The protease increased SID of nutritionally essential AA from WF pea-based diet at both ages, and from CF pea-based diet in chickens aged 28 days. In conclusion, the SID coefficients of indispensable AA determined at 14 days of age in low-tannin WF peas are not applicable to the formulation of grower-type feeds containing seeds of CF cultivars.

Introduction: Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) unresponsive to vasodilator treatment is a marker of heart failure (HF) severity, and an important predictor of poor results of heart transplantation (HT)., Objective: We sought to analyze factors associated with ineffectiveness of sildenafil treatment in end-stage HF patients with elevated PVR with particular emphasis placed on tenascin-C (TNC) serum concentrations., Patients and Methods: The study is an analysis of 132 end-stage HF patients referred for HT evaluation in the Cardiology Department between 2015 and 2018. TNC was measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Human TNC, SunRedBio Technology, Shanghai, China). The endpoint was PVR > 3 Wood units after the six-month sildenafil therapy., Results: The median age was 58 years, and 90.2% were men. PVR >3 Wood units after 6 months of sildenafil treatment were found in 36.6% patients. The multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that TNC (OR = 1.004 (1.002-1.006), p = 0.0003), fibrinogen (OR= 1.019 (1.005-1.033), p = 0.085), creatinine (OR =1.025 (1.004-1.047), p = 0.0223) and right ventricular end-diastolic dimension (RVEDd) (OR = 1.279 (1.074-1.525), p = 0.0059) were independently associated with resistance to sildenafil treatment. Area under the ROC curves indicated an acceptable power of TNC (0.9680 (0.9444-0.9916)), fibrinogen (0.8187 (0.7456-0.8917)) and RVEDd (0.7577 (0.6723-0.8431)), as well as poor strength of creatinine (0.6025 (0.4981-0.7070)) for ineffectiveness of sildenafil treatment., Conclusions: Higher concentrations of TNC, fibrinogen and creatinine, as well as a larger RVEDd are independently associated with the ineffectiveness of sildenafil treatment. TNC has the strongest predictive power, sensitivity and specificity for evaluation of resistance to sildenafil treatment.

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication of heart failure (HF) that results in worse prognosis and heart complications following heart transplantation. To better define and understand left‑sided PH, it is necessary to integrate the clinical context, noninvasive assessment, and invasive hemodynamic variables., Objective: The aim of the study was to search for noninvasive factors related to the presence of PH with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with advanced HF., Patients and Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of 282 patients with end‑stage HF accepted for transplantation in the cardiology department between 2016 and 2018. A panel of laboratory tests, echocardiography, ergospirometry, and right heart catheterization were performed in all included patients. The Model for End‑Stage Liver Disease Excluding INR (MELD‑XI) and the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS) were calculated according to the appropriate formulas., Results: The median age was 57 (51-60) years and 87.6% of patients were men. Pulmonary hypertension with elevated PVR was found in 30.1% of patients. The multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that lower HFSS (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.383-0.908; P = 0.016), and higher MELD‑XI scores (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.024-1.24; P = 0.014), as well as higher alkaline phosphatase levels (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.007-1.024; P <0.001) were independent factors associated with increased PVR., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that high MELD‑XI and low HFFS scores, as well as high alkaline phosphatase serum concentrations were independently associated with increased PVR in patients with advanced HF referred for transplantation.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) still is one of the most important limiting factors of long-term survival following heart transplant (HT). This study aimed to investigate the association between proinflammatory adipokine-visfatin and the incidence of CAV in HT recipients. After HT, 182 patients who had a follow-up visit at the Transplantation Clinic between 2016 and 2017 were analyzed. The median age was 60.5 years, and 76.4% were men. The incidence of CAV was 54.9%. According to the multivariable proportional hazard regression analysis, visfatin level (1.795 [1.539-2.094]; P < .001) was significantly associated with CAV, and statin use was protective against CAV (0.504 [0.32-0.793]; P = .003). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated an excellent discriminatory power of visfatin (0.9548 [0.9281-0.9816]) for CAV detection. The cutoff value of 5.42 ng/mL for visfatin yielded a sensitivity of 89% and specificity of 91%. This is the first study to demonstrate that visfatin serum concentrations are independently associated with the incidence of CAV in HT recipients. Visfatin allows for simple and cheap detection of CAV given its excellent discriminatory ability and high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, we have found an independent association between the statin use and a lower risk of CAV., (© 2020 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Background: Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is a risk factor for early right ventricular failure and poor prognosis after heart transplantation (HT) as well as an indication for treatment with vasodilators. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the baseline values of the modified Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (modMELD) score and the presence of elevated PVR in patients with advanced heart failure (HF) after 6 months of sildenafil treatment., Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective review of 86 adult patients with end-stage HF who were evaluated for HT at our institution between 2015 and 2017. All patients had reversible PVR according to right heart catheterization. They all received sildenafil therapy in the maximum tolerated doses. Before the inclusion of sildenafil, the modMELD scores were calculated based on the serum bilirubin, creatinine, and albumin levels. The study's endpoint was PVR >3 Wood units after 6 months of sildenafil therapy., Results: The median age of the patients was 57 (50-63) years, and 91.9% of them were men. Elevated PVR values (>3 Wood units) after 6 months of sildenafil treatment were found in 36 patients (42%). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for modMELD was 0.848 (95% CI: 0.768-0.929). The cutoff point for modMELD (>11.1) had a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 68%., Conclusions: The modMELD score may be a useful indicator of the ineffectiveness of sildenafil treatment in patients with advanced HF evaluated for HT., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between the production of free radicals and their elimination by the antioxidant defense system. However, the role of oxidative stress in cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) has not been fully understood. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the role of oxidative-antioxidative balance disturbances in patients after HT. Furthermore, we sought to analyze factors associated with the presence of CAV, with particular emphasis placed on oxidative stress markers. The study analyzed data of 194 consecutive patients after HT who underwent routine visits in the Transplantation Clinic between 2015 and 2016. Total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured by the method described by Erel. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was defined as the ratio of the TOS to TAC levels. Patients' mean age was 55.4 ± 15.0 years, and 73.4% were men. The frequency of CAV was 50%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves indicated a good discriminatory power of TAC and TOS (0.8940 (0.8515-0.9365); 0.8620 (0.8126-0.9114), respectively) as well as excellent discriminatory power of OSI (0.9530 (0.9279-0.9781)) for CAV detection. Multivariate analysis of the Cox proportional hazard model confirmed that OSI (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.294 (1.204-1.391), p < 0.0001), age (HR = 1.023 (1.006-1.041), p = 0.0091), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HR = 1.049 (1.016-1.083), p = 0.0151) were independently associated with CAV presence. In conclusion, TAC and TOS had a good discriminatory power and OSI had excellent strength for detecting CAV. The independent factors of CAV were higher OSI and CRP levels, as well as older recipient age., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wioletta Szczurek et al.)

This prospective study aimed to determine the effect of adding apelin to the MAGGIC (Meta-Analysis Global Group In Chronic Heart Failure) and HFSS (Heart Failure Survival Score) scales for predicting one-year mortality in 240 ambulatory patients accepted for heart transplantation (HT) between 2015-2017. The study also investigated whether the combination of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with MAGGIC or HFSS improves the ability of these scales to effectively separate one-year survivors from non-survivors on the HT waiting list. The median age of the patients was 58.0 (51.50.0-64.0) years and 212 (88.3%) of them were male. Within a one year follow-up, 75 (31.2%) patients died. The area under the curves (AUC) for baseline parameters was as follows-0.7350 for HFSS, 0.7230 for MAGGIC, 0.7992 for apelin and 0.7028 for NT-proBNP. The HFSS-apelin score generated excellent power to predict the one-year survival, with the AUC of 0.8633 and a high sensitivity and specificity (80% and 78%, respectively). The predictive accuracy of MAGGIC-apelin score was also excellent (AUC: 0.8523, sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 79%). The addition of NT-proBNP to the HFSS model slightly improved the predictive power of this scale (AUC HFFSS-NT-proBNP : 0.7665, sensitivity 83%, specificity 60%), while it did not affect the prognostic strength of MAGGIC (AUC MAGGIC-NT-proBNP : 0.738, sensitivity 71%, specificity 69%). In conclusion, the addition of apelin to the HFSS and MAGGIC models significantly improved their ability to predict the one-year survival in patients with advanced HF. The MAGGIC-apelin and HFSS-apelin scores provide simple and powerful methods for risk stratification in end-stage HF patients. NT-proBNP slightly improved the prognostic power of HFSS, while it did not affect the predictive power of MAGGIC.

BACKGROUND Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is a major cause of cardiac allograft rejection. Percutaneous coronary intervention has become the main form of treatment of significant focal lesions. Despite the significance of the problem, data remain scarce. With a large population of transplant recipients undergoing coronary angiography at our center, we decided to analyze the implications of the use of everolimus-eluting second-generation stents by performing 6-month clinical and angiographic follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS From December 2012 and August 2019, 319 patients after heart transplantation undergoing coronary angiography at our institution were analyzed. Subsequently, 22 patients underwent de novo angioplasty with second-generation everolimus-eluting stents. The primary study endpoint was angiographic restenosis as evaluated by quantitative coronary angiography. Secondary outcomes included binary restenosis, target lesion revascularization, and cardiac death during the follow-up period (6 months). RESULTS Patient comorbidities included hypertension (77.3%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (68.2%), dyslipidemia (68.2%), and obesity (31.8%). Primary success was obtained in all of the treated lesions. The analysis of quantitative coronary angiography after 6-month follow-up revealed low late lumen loss (0.22±0.40). Significant restenosis was observed in 1 of the cases. There were no deaths in the 6-month observation period. CONCLUSIONS In the analyzed population, invasive strategy with second-generation everolimus-eluting stents for de novo lesions in cardiac allograft vasculopathy resulted in a low rate of binary restenosis, low late lumen loss, and no deaths during the 6-month follow-up.

Background: An accurate assessment of prognosis is an important element of the management of patients with advanced heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus (DM), due to the particularly unfavourable effect of concomitance of both diseases on their course and treatment efficacy.   Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic factors affecting survival in patients with HF and DM., Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data of 367 consecutive patients with advanced HF (New York Heart Association class III-IV) and DM, hospitalised in a referral centre for interventional cardiology between 2009 and 2013, was performed. Patients with haematological disorders, treated with steroids or with incomplete clinical data were excluded from the analysis. The endpoint of the study was death from all causes., Results: The average patient age was 63.3 ± 10.8 years, 75.7 % of the patients were male. During a mean follow-up of 4.4 ± 1.3 years, the overall mortality rate was 53.7 %. In a multivariate analysis, independent risk factors of death included atrial fibrillation [Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.5730 (95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1417 - 2.1671)); p <0.01], red blood cell distribution width (RDW) [HR 1.0492 (95 % CI 1.0247 - 1.0743); p <0.0001] and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) [HR 1.0045 (95 % CI 1.0032 - 1.0057); p <0.0001]., Conclusions: Our study showed that permanent atrial fibrillation and two haematological parameters, RDW and PLR, are associated with an increased risk of death in advanced HF patients with concomitant DM in the long-term follow-up.

In this paper, we present a study on the evaluation of the effect of xylanase addition to a diet with an increasing content of modern hybrid rye (Brasetto variety) on the performance indices and viscosity of small intestine content in broiler chickens. A total of 560 1-day-old male Ross 308 chickens were randomly assigned to 1 of 10 treatments, each comprising 7 replicate cages, with 8 male birds per cage. A 5 × 2 factorial arrangement was employed, with five dietary levels of ground rye (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%). All the diets were either unsupplemented or supplemented with xylanase (200 mg/kg of feed; with minimum xylanase activity 1000 FXU/g). In the starter rearing period (1⁻21 days of age), the inclusion of rye (without xylanase supplementation) to the diet, even at the lowest dietary level (5%), negatively affected body weight gain ( p < 0.05); there was no effect on feed intake and feed conversion ratio. In older chickens (the grower-finisher rearing period; 22⁻42 days of age), none of the dietary levels of rye (5⁻20%) affected growth performance indices. Similarly, no significant effect of increasing dietary level of rye was found for the entire rearing period (1⁻42 days of age). Diet supplementation with xylanase improved body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in chickens from 1 to 21 days of age. No positive effect of enzyme was found in older birds. No significant effects of the experimental factors used were noticed on the results of slaughter analysis, i.e., the carcass yield, breast meat yield, abdominal fat, and relative weight of the liver and gizzard. A high dietary concentration of rye (20%) increased the viscosity of small intestine content ( p < 0.05); however, diet supplementation with xylanase significantly alleviated this effect. The findings of this experiment indicated that modern hybrid rye grain may be used at a 20% dietary level in broiler diets during the second feeding phase, i.e., from 22 to 42 days of age, without any detrimental influence on growth performance indices, while enzyme (xylanase) positively affected body weight gain and feed conversion ratio in younger chicks (1⁻21 days of age).

Introduction: The influence of feeding genetically modified MON 810 hybrid maize on the growth and haematological and biochemical indices of rats was tested., Material and Methods: Two conventional (non-GM) and two test (MON 810) lines of maize were used in semi-purified diets at the level of 40% w/w. The non-GM I, MON 810 I, non-GM II, and MON 810 II maize lines were near-isogenic. A total of 40 male 6-week-old Wistar-derived rats were assigned to four equal feeding groups corresponding to the four maize lines for 16 weeks. Overall, health, body weight gain, clinical pathology parameters, gross changes, and appearance of tissues were compared between groups., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the weight gain or relative organ weights of rats, but there were some non diet-related histopathological changes in the liver, kidneys, and spleen. Except for creatinine level, no diet-related effects were observed in haematology or most of the biochemical indices. Transgenic DNA of MON 810 maize was not detected in the tissues or faeces nor in the DNA of E. coli isolated from the rectum digesta of rats given transgenic feeds. In our experiment, various metabolic indices of rats fed non-GM diets or genetically modified (MON 810) maize for 16 weeks were similar. No adverse nutrition-related health effects were detected., Conclusion: MON 810 maize seems to be as safe as the conventional maize lines., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interests Statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article.

Heart transplantation (HT) is the treatment of choice for patients with advanced heart failure (HF) who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy. Due to the shortage of organs for transplantation and constantly increasing number of patients placed on waiting lists, accurate risk stratification is a crucial element of management in this population. Prognostic scales allow one to evaluate the patient prognosis, estimate the potential benefits of therapy and identify those patients most likely to benefit from advanced methods of treatment. In this review, we describe prognostic scales in advanced HF, concentrating on commonly used tools - the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS) and Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) - as well as on the new promising scales for evaluating waiting list mortality and post-transplant outcomes.

Obesity poses an increasing problem in patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). The most commonly used indicator of obesity is body mass index. The value of this parameter is widely taken into consideration when selecting the best way of treatment for patients with advanced HF. The aim of this paper is to outline the recent knowledge about obesity in the abovementioned group of patients.

INTRODUCTION    The N terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT proBNP) is secreted by cardiomyocytes in response to increased wall stress resulting from pressure and volume overload. The modified Model for End Stage Liver Disease (modMELD) scale reflects the systemic effect of heart failure (HF), which includes end-organ congestion and subsequent hepatic and renal dysfunction. OBJECTIVES    The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic accuracy of NT proBNP and the modMELD score, as well as to compare their usefulness in the risk stratification of patients with end-stage HF awaiting orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). PATIENTS AND METHODS    We retrospectively analyzed the data of 641 consecutive adult patients awaiting OHT between 2012 and 2016. Exclusion criteria included "urgent status", OHT, and removal from the waiting list. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained at the time of admission to the waiting list. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality during a one-year follow up. RESULTS    In the overall population of 370 patients, the median age was 54.0 (46.0-60.0) years, and 87.6% of the patients were male. During the follow-up period, the mortality rate was 27.6%. The areas under the curve (AUCs) were 0.619 (95% CI: 0.557-0.681) for NT proBNP and 0.870 (95% CI: 0.833-0.906) for modMELD. The difference between the AUC for modMELD and NT proBNP was 0.251 (95% CI: 0.179-0.322, P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS    The usefulness of NT proBNP in evaluating the prognosis of patients with end stage HF awaiting OHT is limited. The modMELD score is a better prognostic marker of waiting list mortality than the NT proBNP serum concentration.

Background: Due to the increasing number of patients placed on waiting lists for orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT), the selection of patients with the highest risk of death has become paramount., Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the Model for End-stage Liver Disease eXcluding INR (MELD-XI) and Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure (MAGGIC) scales in ambulatory patients awaiting OHT and compare them to the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS)., Methods: The study was a retrospective review of 370 adult ambulatory patients with end-stage heart failure, who were added to the OHT waiting list at our institution between 2012 and 2016., Results: The median age of the patients was 54.0 (46.0-60.0) years, and 324 (87.6%) of them were male. The overall one-year mortality was 27.6%. The areas under the curve (AUCs) for the MAGGIC and HFSS scales were comparable: 0.771 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.720-0.823); sensitivity 77%, specificity 68% vs. 0.781 (95% CI 0.732-0.829); sensitivity 90%, specificity 58%, respectively. The AUC for the MELD-XI scale was higher than that for the HFSS scale: 0.812 (95% CI 0.769-0.856); sensitivity 91%, specificity 63% vs. 0.781 (95% CI 0.732-0.829) sensitivity 90%, specificity 58%, respectively., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that elevated MELD-XI and MAGGIC scores and lowered HFSS scores were associated with an increased risk of death during one-year follow-up. The prognostic utility of the MELD-XI scoring system was better than that of the HFSS scale, while the MAGGIC scale was comparable to the HFSS.

Background: Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The causes of Parkinson's disease are not fully understood; however, increasing evidence implicates oxidative stress., Objectives: The study was aimed at assessing the nature of the changes in the oxidation-antioxidant balance in the cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebellum in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD)., Material and Methods: Sixteen male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups: Icontrol, IIParkinson's disease. The 8-weeks-old animals were decapitated, their brains removed and the following structures dissected and then frozen for further biochemical assays: cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus and cerebellum. The activities of: the catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the isoenzymes: Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD; together with the malondialdehyde (MDA) and the total oxidative status (TOS) concentrations were measured in each structure., Results: A significantly increased activities of SOD, Cu/ZnSOD, GST and reduced GR activity and an increase of MDA concentration were observed in the striatum of PD rats, comparing to the control group, combined with a significantly reduced activities of GR,SOD, Cu/ZnSOD and an increased GPX activity and MDA concentration in the hippocampus, a significantly lower GR, SOD, MnSOD, Cu/ZnSOD, and GST activities in the cerebral cortex. A significantly lower GR activity, higher CAT activity and MDA concentration in the thalamus and a significantly increased GR activity in the cerebellum were observed in PD rats compared to the corresponding control group., Conclusions: Oxidative stress in PD involves many brain structures and various antioxidant enzymes and oxidative status parameters become dysfunctional, depending on the area of the brain, which might reflect the complexity of the clinical symptoms of PD.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart failure (HF) are two common diseases that often co-exist., Aim: To explore clinical characteristics, management strategies and rates of 3-year mortality among diabetic and non-diabetic patients hospitalised in a highly specialized interventional cardiology centre., Material and Methods: We used data from COMMIT-HF (COnteMporary Modalities In Treatment of Heart Failure), which is a single-centre, observational, prospective registry of patients with symptomatic chronic systolic HF (LVEF < 35%). Data collected included demographics, clinical characteristics, medical history, inpatient therapies and procedures. Follow-up was based on the information acquired from the national health-care provider., Results: We analysed 1397 patients out of the total of 1798 patients included in the COMMIT-HF registry between 2009 and 2013. We identified 595 (42.6%) diabetic and 802 (57.4%) non-diabetic patients. Compared to patients without DM, patients with type 2 DM had a higher rate of comorbidity. Frequency of death in patients with DM during the 3-year follow-up was significantly higher than in patients without DM (199 (33.4%) vs. 163 (20.3%), p < 0.0001, respectively)., Conclusions: In the analysed HF population representing patients receiving typical, everyday clinical care, the prevalence of DM is 42.6%. Diabetes mellitus has deleterious effects on renal function and symptoms as assessed by the New York Heart Association functional class. DM remains associated with increased frequency of death in patients with HF, in spite of recent pharmacological and device-based advances in HF management.

INTRODUCTION    An increasing number of ambulatory patients are placed on orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) waiting lists, which results in an extended waiting time and a higher mortality rate. OBJECTIVES    The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with reduced survival during a 1‑year follow‑up in patients with end‑stage heart failure listed for an OHT. PATIENTS AND METHODS    We retrospectively analyzed the data of 221 adult patients, who were accepted for OHT in our institution over a 2‑year period between 2013 and 2014. RESULTS    The mean (SD) age of the patients was 54.7 (9.6) years, and 90.1% of them were male. The mortality rate during the follow‑up period was 43.3%. The modified Model for End‑Stage Liver Disease (modMELD) score (odds ratio [OR], 1.70; P <0.001), as well as the plasma levels of high‑sensitivity C‑reactive protein (hs‑CRP; OR, 1.10; P <0.01), sodium (OR, 0.74; P <0.001), and uric acid (UA; OR, 1.003; P <0.05) were independent factors affecting death. The receiver‑operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that a modMELD cut‑off of 10 (area under the ROC curve [AUC], 0.868; P <0.001), hs‑CRP cut‑off of 5.6 mg/l (AUC, 0.674; P <0.001), plasma sodium level cut‑off of 135 mmol/l (AUC, 0.778; P <0.001), and a plasma UA cut‑off of 488 μmol/l (AUC, 0.634; P <0.001) were the most accurate factors affecting death. CONCLUSIONS    In conclusion, although limited to a single center, our study demonstrated that an elevated modMELD score, incorporating a combination of renal and hepatic laboratory parameters, as well as plasma sodium, UA, and hs‑CRP levels at the time of listing are associated with reduced survival in ambulatory patients with end‑stage heart failure, accepted for OHT.

Introduction: Propofol is an intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent that is commonly used to induce and maintain general anaesthesia. This drug has antioxidant properties, which are partly caused by a phenolic structure similar to α-tocopherol. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of propofol on the level of oxidative stress biomarkers in the frontal cortex, striatum, thalamus, hippocampus and cerebellum in rats with experimental Parkinson's disease (PD)., Material/methods: The experiment was performed on 24 male Wistar rats assigned to the following groups: 1 - control; 2 - PD; 3 - PD with propofol. The dopaminergic systems were damaged with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) administered to each lateral ventricle (2x15 μg/5 μl). 60 mg/kg of propofol was later given to the 8-week-old rats intraperitoneally. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and its enzymes Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD, together with the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), were measured., Results: In the 2nd group, a significant increase in MDA concentration in the striatum, hippocampus and thalamus, and an increase of TOS in the striatum, thalamus and cerebellum were noted, along with a TAC decrease in the cortex, striatum and thalamus. Propofol caused a significant decrease in MDA levels in the cortex, striatum, hippocampus and thalamus, and a decrease in TOS levels in the cortex, striatum and cerebellum, with increased TAC in all evaluated structures., Conclusions: A shortage of natural antioxidants is observed in PD, along with an increase in pro-oxidants in many brain areas. Propofol inhibits oxidative stress in the brain, which shows its neuroprotective properties against oxidative damage.

Background: Parkinson's disease is caused by the destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. One of the possible factors involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is impaired oxidativeantioxidative balance., Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate selected parameters of the liver oxidative-antioxidative system in a Wistar rat model with Parkinson's disease treated with propofol., Material and Methods: Experiments were performed on 32 rats divided into 4 groups: 1 - control, 2 - Parkinson's disease, 3 - control with propofol, 4 - Parkinson's disease with propofol. The rats were decapitated at 8 weeks of age and their livers were collected. In the liver, the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and the concentrations of: Malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) were assessed., Results: The study demonstrated a decrease in CAT activity and an increase in MDA, TOS concentrations in group 2 compared to that of group 1. Administration of propofol in rats of group 4 caused an increase in CAT activity and a decrease in MDA concentration compared to that of group 2 and an increase in TAC, CAT, GR levels, decrease in MDA levels compared to that of group 1. There was also an increase in GR and TAC in group 3 compared to that of group 1., Conclusions: Propofol in Parkinson's disease stimulates the production of antioxidant enzymes in the liver, simultaneously decreasing oxidative stress, which has a beneficial effect on the oxidative-antioxidative balance.