BackgroundAn increase in plasma kynurenic acid (KYNA) concentration has been observed following surgery, inflammation, and cerebral pathologies. The aim of the present study was to analyze the changes in plasma KYNA concentration in patients undergoing carotid surgery (CS).Material/MethodsAdult patients undergoing elective carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid angioplasty with stent placement (CAS) were studied. Plasma KYNA concentrations were analyzed before surgery and at 4 time points after CS. The amount of inflammation was measured as neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).ResultsForty patients (10 female and 30 male) aged 55–86 years of age were evaluated in this study. In patients with unstable carotid plaque, the plasma KYNA concentration was higher than in patients with stable carotid plaque. Moreover, the NLR was significantly higher in patients with unstable carotid plaque undergoing CEA than in patients undergoing CAS. Plasma KYNA concentration increased after surgery in patients undergoing CEA and CAS. There was a strong correlation between plasma KYNA concentration and NLR in patients with postoperative neurological disorders.ConclusionsCS increases plasma KYNA concentration, and changes in plasma KYNA concentration can indicate neurologic outcomes in patients undergoing CS.

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Introduction. Alcohol is a major risk factor of diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases, and mortality. There are more and more proposals to reduce alcohol consumption, including the controlling the price of alcohol.Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol use among students of the Medical University of Lublin, with a particular focus on the impact of alcohol prices on the size of its consumption.Material and methods. A survey among 168 students from various fields of study was conducted in 2012. The research tool was a questionnaire containing 43 questions.Results. Alcohol was consumed by 92.86% of respondents (95.24% men and 92.06% women). Most of them (48.72%) were drinking less than once a week, 31.41% -one or two times per week and 19.87% -more than twice a week. Nearly two times more likely to drink are men. Since the start of their higher education, 36.49% of students increased alcohol intake, for 43.24% consumption remained unchanged, and decreased for 20.27%. The most common alcohol of choice is beer (to 56.41%), followed by wine (20.51%) and vodka (16.67%). Men spend more on alcohol per week compared to women. Students who positively evaluate their health spend less on alcohol than those who rate their health as average or poor. However, the level of wealth does not affect the profile of drinking alcohol. Introduction of a minimum price for alcohol is advocated by 27.00%, against 45.00%, no clear opinion is presented by 28.00% of respondents.Conclusions. Student community is aware of the problems associated with alcohol and proposes several ways to minimize abuse. However, there is no clear support for any of these ideas. Price does not play the most important role in choosing the type of alcohol, but with the increase by 50% or more, we can expect a significant reduction in consumption. Low probability of large markup, which would significantly reduce alcohol consumption, forces to look for other ways of fighting this addiction.