Level of selected antibacterial tear proteins in children with diabetes type 1

Purpose: Antibacterial immunity in diabetes is impaired, which increases the risk of general and local infections. The aim of the study was to evaluate non-specific local antibacterial immunity based on lactoferrin and lysozyme concentration in tears in children with diabetes type 1. Material and methods: Children at the age of 10-18 years old were studied. Group 1. consisted of children without diabetes, group 2. included patients with new onset of diabetes and group 3. consisted of children with decade-long diabetes. Among all patients tears were collected from inferior coniunctival fornix with hematocrit glass capillaries in purpose to measure lactoferrin and lysozyme concentration. ELISA method was used in laboratory testing. Results: Level of lactoferrin did not differ significantly among all groups. Concentration of lysozyme was statistically lower in group with decade-long diabetes (group 3.) compared to patients without diabetes. Mild correlation between lactoferrin and lysozyme levels was seen in individual patients in whole group of probands together. Conclusions: Diabetes type 1 in children is associated with significant changes in concentration of tear proteins, which contribute to antibacterial immunity.     

Genetic syndrome, most likely vascular type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, in a 14-years old boy with extrapyramindal symptoms dominating the early childhood and growth failure

INTRODUCTION: The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a heterogeneous group of rare genetic disorders with various clinical features, which result from faulty collagen structure or disturbances in collagen synthesis. THE CASE STUDY: The Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome was diagnosed in patient at the age of 7 as easy bruising and tearing of the skin with scars being left afterwards and spontaneous ruptures of skin's blood vessels were observed. In earlier years extrapyramidal symptoms, which were dominating the clinical picture, perinatal complications and delayed psychomotor development led to a suggestion of the infantile cerebral palsy. Growth failure and low bone mass are also observed in this patient. CONCLUSION: Diverse symptoms can occur in patients with EDS, so all of them must be included into diagnostics and treatment. In the vascular type of EDS the biggest fear is about some rupture of a major blood vessel or an internal organ (bowels etc.), so educating the patient and his/hers family, especially about everyday physical activity, plays a very important role.     

Skin hypersensitivity reactions to transdermal therapeutic systems--still an important clinical problem

Transdermal therapeutic systems (TTS) belong to the widely used methods of drug administration, which allow rate-controlled drug delivery and avoidance of first-pass metabolism in the liver Beside scopolamine, nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate), nicotine, clonidine and fentanyl, also transdermal delivery of sex steroids for hormone replacement therapy and contraception is a well-known and popular method in daily clinical practice. It is estimated that approximately 20% of patients using transdermal estradiol may complain of adverse cutaneous side effects. Most of those reactions are mild or moderate, usually limited to the area of drug application. However, prolonged use may increase the chance of developing sensitization. The purpose of this review is to provide up-to date information on the spectrum of cutaneous reactions caused by TTS and the characteristics of potential contact allergens, including sex hormones. Proper management and prophylactic measures were also included.     

The most frequent Polish ATM mutations are not susceptibility factors for tobacco-related cancers

IntroductionThe inactivation of both alleles of the ATM gene leads to ataxia-telangiectasia syndrome, whereas carriers of monoallelic mutations in the ATM gene are associated with increased risk of different types of cancer. Three substitutions in the ATM gene (c.6095G>A, c.7630-2A>C, c.5932G>T) are the most common mutations causing ataxia-telangiectasia among Polish patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether these ATM mutations are associated with increased risk of tobacco-related cancers.Material and methods783 Polish patients with tobacco-related cancers were included in the study (468 with lung cancer, 153 with a single laryngeal cancer, 86 with multiple primary tumors localized in the larynx and 76 multiple primary tumors localized in the head or neck). The control group consisted of 464 healthy subjects from the Polish population. Three ATM mutations – c.5932G>T, c.6095G>A, c.7630-2A>C – were tested among selected patients. Molecular analyses were performed using high resolution melting analysis and restriction fragment length polymorphism.ResultsIn the present study, we detected only one mutation, c.7630-2A>C, and no carriers of c.5932G>T, c.6095G>A mutations in the ATM gene among Polish patients with tobacco-related cancers. A patient with c.7630-2A>C mutation was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. One carrier of c.6095G>A mutation was found in the control group.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the studied ATM variants do not seem to be associated with tobacco-related cancers in Poland.