Assessment of actual nutrition and immunological responsiveness in female students

Questionnaire survey of 127 female medical students from a study group indicated that the dietary levels of proteins, particularly animal ones, as well as fats, carbohydrates, vitamins (C, B1, B2, and B6), and trace elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, and manganese) was much lower in spring than in autumn and they did not correspond to the recommended physiological requirements for these nutrients. Examining the immunological responsiveness in the female students revealed seasonal variations of some cellular and humoral immunological parameters. The reduction in the level of T lymphocytes of serum immunoglobulins (mainly immunoglobulins G) and in the number of circulating immune complexes in spring as compared with autumn was associated with the significant increase of the relative and absolute counts of B lymphocytes.     

Influence of atorvastatin on apolipoprotein E and AI kinetics in patients with type 2 diabetes

Atorvastatin reduces both plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes, but mechanisms underlying triglyceride decrease and the effect of atorvastatin on high density lipoprotein (HDL) still remain unclear. Apolipoprotein (apo) E plays a crucial role in modulating production and clearance of triglyceride-rich very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). The main effect of apoAI is to modulate HDL metabolism. The aim of this work was to study the influence of atorvastatin on apoAI and apoE kinetics and to determine whether its hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic effects could be related to changes in this apolipoprotein metabolism. Plasma VLDL-apoE, HDL-apoE, and HDL-apoAI were studied in seven patients with diabetes with mixed hyperlipidemia using a stable isotope labeling technique ([(2)H3]leucine-primed constant infusion) and monocompartmental model before and after 2 months of treatment with 40 mg/day of atorvastatin. Plasma apoE concentration was significantly reduced (44.1 +/- 19.1 versus 32 +/- 11.6 mg/l, p < 0.05) after treatment. This decrease was associated with a diminution of HDL-apoE concentration (17.46 +/- 6.71 versus 13.37 +/- 6.05 mg/l, p < 0.05) and production rate (0.202 +/- 0.085 versus 0.119 +/- 0.047 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05), whereas an increase in VLDL-apoE concentration (6.44 +/- 2.16 before versus 9.23 +/- 4.02 mg/l after, p < 0.05) and production rate (0.827 +/- 0.367 versus 1.524 +/- 0.664 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05) was observed. No significant difference was observed after treatment for apoAI parameters. We conclude that atorvastatin treatment promotes different apoE distribution between HDL and VLDL, favoring VLDL apoE content. The increased number of apoE per VLDL particle suggests that atorvastatin could enhance the direct catabolism of triglyceride-rich VLDL through apoE receptor pathways.     

Vaccination against poliomyelitis in Poland with types 1 and 3 attenuated viruses of Koprowski: 1. Virological studies of the vaccine strains and serological studies of the vaccinated population

Mass vaccination of the juvenile population with live poliovirus vaccine was carried out in Poland in 1959 and 1960. In all, some 7 239 000 children 6 months to 14 years old were given type 1 (CHAT) virus, and nearly 6 818 500 children of the same age-group received type 3 (W-Fox) virus.