No abstract

Evaluation of the inflammatory response based on the Interleukin 4 and Interleukin 6 levels in patients with acquired bronchiectasis (non-cystic fibrosis) and healthy controls. The study was conducted on a group of 77 subjects, divided into 2 lots: the first lot consisting of 57 patients with acquired bronchiectasis objectified by Computed Tomography and 20 healthy individuals. The serum Interleukins 4 and 6 levels were measured using the ELISA biochemical spectrophotometry test. The results are significant from a statistical point of view, especially when it comes to the mean value of Interleukin 4 that was much higher in the control lot. Interleukin 4 is a proinflammatory cytokine and therefore we can draw the conclusion that to some extent bronchiectasis can be associated with an immunodeficiency disorder prior to the pathology itself or it can be caused by the pathology. Future research is open in this field for the analysis of interleukin levels in bronchioloalveolar lavage compared to serum levels.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelets-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR) are novel inflammatory markers used in evaluation of systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of NLR and PLR as inflammatory markers in patients with exacerbation of bronchiectasis. 100 patients with age between 23 and 88 years old with chest CT documentated bronchiectasis were included. Blood test were collected at admission in the hospital. There was a good correlation between classical markers such as CRP, ESR, white blood cells and NLR. PLR, however correlated only with ESR from the inflammatory markers and with the values og hemoglobin and hematocrit. We did not see higher values in patients with COPD and bronchiectasis when compared with patients with bronchiectasis alone, howevere patients with COPD GOLD stage 2 and bronchiectasis had higher values of NLR and PLR when compared with other stages. NLR, more than PLR can be safley used in evaluating inflammation in patients with exacerbation of bronchiectasis.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are among the most important group of bacteria, with a critical role in food, pharmaceutical and medical industry. The fast-growing characteristics of LAB strains, their metabolic activity associated with production of many beneficial compounds and most of all, their GRAS status (Generally Recognized As Safe) recommends them as starter cultures for food biotechnology processes. During last decades, LAB strains have also an extensive prophylactic or therapeutic use as probiotics. Due to the fact that there are current limitations in the use of standard MRS media (de Man Rogosa Sharpe), which is selective especially for lactobacilli and enterococci, the aim of the present study was to optimize the growth medium composition for isolating a wide range of LAB strains with biotechnological potential and to improve the biomass accumulation. For this purpose, it has been evaluated the growth of Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus ATCC� 9595�, Streptococcus (S.) salivarius subsp. thermophilus ATCC� 19258�, Pediococcus (P.) acidilactici ATCC� 8042�, Lactococcus (L.) lactis 28 and Enterococcus (E.) faecium FFb CMGB L-18 on MRS broth with various carbon sources (glucose, lactose, galactose, maltose, mannose, ribose, arabinose, sucrose, fructose). The results of the study showed that there are interesting differences in the requirements of each analyzed species. The optimization of standard medium composition will be very useful for growth studies as well as metabolic flux studies.

The present study looks at serum concentration levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and high-sensibility C Reactive Protein (hs-PCR) concentrations in 91 patients who presented thoracic pain localised on the sub-clavicular left side, which bothered them several times a day, where an episode lasted up to 30 minutes. Additional preclinical investigations revealed normal resting state/effort electrocardiograms, and the cardiac ultrasound revealed a diastolic cardiac dysfunction with a conserved ejection fraction. The conclusion of our study is that undertaking the exploratory tetrad (electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, serum dosage of MPO and hs-PCR) in patients who present anterior left pain, regardless of the degree of intensity, allows stratifying risks, at least through early detection of an existent diastolic cardiac dysfunction with conserved ejection fraction, which recommends changes in diet and lifestyle along with therapy.