Łukasz Kruszyna

HER2 codon 655 polymorphism is associated with advanced uterine cervical carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES It has been suggested that overexpression of HER2 in advanced cervical tumors can be considered an independent predictor of poor patient outcome. DESIGN AND METHODS Employing PCR-RFLPs, we examined the distribution of HER2 Ile655Val (rs 1136201) genotypes and alleles in patients with advanced cervical cancer (n=109) and controls (n=220). RESULTS Odds ratio (OR) for patients with advanced cervical cancer with the HER2 Val/Val homozygous or Val/Ile heterozygous state was 1.778 (95% CI=1.117-2.830, p=0.0176). We also observed an association of the HER2 Val/Val genotype with advanced cervical cancer in the patient group OR=3.706 (95% CI=1.061-12.950, p=0.0459). However, we did not find a significant association between the distribution of genotypes or alleles and cancer characteristics for the HER2 Ile655Val polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the HER2 655Val variant may be associated with the incidence of advanced cervical cancer.

Monitoring of Systemic Inflammatory Response in Diabetic Patients with Deep Foot Infection Treated with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to establish the safety of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the treatment of acutely debrided, deep diabetic foot infections (DDFI) and to determine the value of inflammatory markers in monitoring of treatment of these infections with negative pressure wound therapy. Methods: A group of ten patients with DDFI treated by radical surgical debridement and simultaneous NPWT was prospectively studied. During the debridement, a deep tissue sample was obtained and sent for microbiological testing. The patients were followed clinically for 10 days and NPWT dressings were changed every 2 to 3 days or sooner when indicated. The peripheral blood samples were obtained before the radical debridement and 3 and 10 days afterwards and concentrations of white blood cell, neutrophils, lymphocytes and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The changes in concentration of inflammatory markers were analyzed with a Friedman test. Results: In all but one patient the presence of DDFI was confirmed by the culture results. At baseline, the elevated WBC and neutrophil concentrations were observed only in half of the patients while the CRP concentration was elevated in nine patients. During followup, all patients showed a favorable clinical evolution and statistically significant decrease of WBC, neutrophils and CRP (p < 0.001). There were not statistically significant changes in lymphocyte count. Conclusion: NPWT can be safely applied in acutely debrided DDFI. CRP seems to be the most adequate parameter for both diagnosis and monitoring of treatment of DDFI. Level of Evidence: IV, Case Series

Distribution of CCND1 A870G Polymorphism in Patients with Advanced Uterine Cervical Carcinoma

We examined the distribution of the CCND1 A870G (rs9344) polymorphic variant in patients with cervical cancer (n = 129) and healthy individuals (n = 288) in a sample of a Polish cohort. We showed that patients with advanced cervical cancer bearing the CCND1 A/A and A/G genotypes displayed a 1.811-fold increased risk of cervical cancer (95% CI = 1.150–2.852, p = 0.0098). We also found a significantly higher frequency of the CCND1 870A allele in patients with cancer than in controls, p = 0.0116. Our investigation confirmed that the CCND1 870A gene variant may be a genetic risk factor in the incidence of advanced cervical cancer.

Prevalence of Non-thrombotic Iliac Vein Lesions in Patients with Unilateral Primary Varicose Veins

OBJECTIVES A role of non-thrombotic iliac vein lesions (NIVLs) in the development of primary varicose veins (PVVs) has not been studied. It seems that intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is the most accurate method to diagnose these lesions. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the presence of NIVLs and PVVs and the frequency of NIVLs in asymptomatic and PVV limbs. DESIGN This was an observational study. MATERIALS Thirty-three patients with unilateral PVV and great saphenous vein incompetence who were qualified for surgical treatment were analyzed. Nineteen patients (57%) presented with varicose veins on the right side. METHODS During varicose vein surgery, IVUS of the iliac veins and the inferior vena cava was performed. In all patients the iliocaval outflow was interrogated by IVUS in both the limb with and without PVVs. The PVV side was accessed through the surgically exposed sapheno-femoral junction and the non-PVV side was accessed by an ultrasound guided percutaneous puncture of the common femoral vein. In both the common iliac (CIVs) and the external iliac veins (EIVs) the minimal and reference lumen area were measured and the percentage stenosis calculated. RESULTS There were no intra- or post-procedural complications. The minimal lumen area (MLA) was smaller and the stenosis of the CIV was greater on the left side than the right: median 57 and 108 mm(2) (p = 0.001) and 69 and 34% (p < 0.001), respectively. However when the PVV and non-PVV sides were compared, no statistically significant differences of MLA or stenosis of the CIV were found: 88 and 67 mm(2) (p = 0.38) and 44% and 51% (p = 0.40), respectively. With regard to EIVs, no statistically significant differences in either MLA or stenosis between the left and right and PVV and non-PVV sides were found. The frequency of ≥50% stenosis of CIV and EIV in the PVV limbs and the non-PVV limbs was 42% and 48% and 51% and 39%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS NIVLs are common in patients with PVV but do not seem to be associated with the presence of ipsilateral PVV.

Analysis of retinol, α-tocopherol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in plasma of patients with cardiovascular disease by HPLC-MS/MS method

Fat-soluble vitamins play a pivotal role in the progression of atherosclerosis and the development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, plasma monitoring of their concentrations may be useful in the diagnosis of these disorders as well as in the process of treatment. The study aimed to develop and validate an HPLC-MS/MS method for determination of retinol, α-tocopherol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in plasma of patients with cardiovascular disease. The analytes were separated on an HPLC Kinetex F5 column via gradient elution with water and methanol, both containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid. Detection of the analytes was performed on a triple-quadrupole MS with multiple reaction monitoring via electrospray ionization. The analytes were isolated from plasma samples with liquid-liquid extraction using hexane. Linearity of the analyte calibration curves was confirmed in the ranges 0.02-2 μg/mL for retinol, 0.5-20 μg/mL for α-tocopherol, 5-100 ng/mL for 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 2-100 ng/mL for 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. Intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy of the method were satisfactory. Short- and long-term stabilities of the analytes were determined. The HPLC-MS/MS method was applied for the determination of the above fat-soluble vitamin concentrations in patient plasma as potential markers of the cardiovascular disease progression.

Plasma Nucleotide Dynamics during Exercise and Recovery in Highly Trained Athletes and Recreationally Active Individuals

Circulating plasma ATP is able to regulate local skeletal muscle blood flow and 02 delivery causing considerable vasodilatation during exercise. We hypothesized that sport specialization and specific long-term training stimuli have an impact on venous plasma [ATP] and other nucleotides concentration. Four athletic groups consisting of sprinters (n=11; age range 21–30 yr), endurance-trained athletes (n=16; age range 18–31 yr), futsal players (n=14; age range 18–30 yr), and recreationally active individuals (n=12; age range 22–33 yr) were studied. Venous blood samples were collected at rest, during an incremental treadmill test, and during recovery. Baseline [ATP] was 759±80 nmol·l−1 in competitive athletes and 680±73 nmol·l−1 in controls and increased during exercise by ~61% in competitive athletes and by ~31% in recreationally active participants. We demonstrated a rapid increase in plasma [ATP] at exercise intensities of 83–87% of VO2max in competitive athletes and 94% in controls. Concentrations reported after 30 minutes of recovery were distinct from those obtained preexercise in competitive athletes (P < 0.001) but not in controls (P = 0.61). We found a correlation between total-body skeletal muscle mass and resting and maximal plasma [ATP] in competitive athletes (r=0.81 and r=0.75, respectively). In conclusion, sport specialization is significantly related to plasma [ATP] at rest, during exercise, and during maximal effort. Intensified exercise-induced plasma [ATP] increases may contribute to more effective vessel dilatation during exercise in highly trained athletes than in recreational runners. The most rapid increase in ATP concentration was associated with the respiratory compensation point. No differences between groups of competitive athletes were observed during the recovery period suggesting a similar pattern of response after exercise. Total-body skeletal muscle mass is indirectly related to plasma [ATP] in highly trained athletes.